Chapter 7
Reincarnation

Author's Note: Some of this chapter - the parts that have to do with Holly and Harry – might seem a little odd, but I decided this is the best scenario for my story. And it is the most believable, especially since I am planning a romantic storyline between the two as the story progresses.

Holly blinked her eyes open and groaned when she found herself once again standing in a very clean version of Platform Nine-and-Three Quarters. She glanced at the bench a short distance away, and saw a familiar figure to her sitting there – Death.

"Oh come on!" Holly scowled, "What? Did I die in my sleep?"

Death chuckled – a tinkling sound instead of the malevolent sound Holly was used to when it came to this figure.

"Relax, my dear," Death said, "You're not dead, you're dreaming. Let's just say this is easier for me to give you a message this way. But I won't be doing this a lot! I like my confusing letters! I have nice writing, don't you think – shut up!"

Holly opened her mouth to say she didn't say anything, then she realized Death wasn't talking to her. On the ground, lying a few feet away from Death, was a Goblin. Closer inspection revealed that the goblin had a long deep cut along its neck. It was groaning rather morosely. A macabre sound.

"Who is that?" Holly asked.

"Griphook," Death said, "The traitor who allowed the thefts from Harry's Trust Vault. He met his fate last night. Ignore him. Now... you are probably wondering why you are here?"

"Well... yeah," Holly said.

"You are here because I fear I caused you great emotional pain," Death said. "If you knew what I am about to tell you, when you initially started your discussion with Harry, it might have gone a lot better."

"And what is that?" Holly asked.

"You are not Lily Potter," Death said. "You are not Harry's mother. She died on Halloween in 1981. You are Holly Marie Evans, official title Lady Ravenclaw, eleven years old, soon-to-be first year student at Hogwarts."

"But... I have memories!" Holly said, "I remember James! Hell, I remember shagging him! I don't know what to do with that! And... I have a wide array of magical knowledge -"

" – all of which once belonged to Lily Potter," Death said. "Yes. You are the reincarnation of Lily Potter. But you are not her. You could have been her niece, or younger sister – why? Because I made it that way. In order for our plans to work, I needed you to be around the same age as Harry."

"So... the names on my Inheritance?" Holly said.

"As I told Lily, your parents are fictional," Death said, "Look. I needed to give you an identity. Technically you're related to Harry – it is what is leftover of Lily in you. Just as you have her memories, knowledge and skills, you also have similar magic. Your wand is nearly identical to Lily's wand. But you are not Lily. If you were, then Harry's ring and the Potter Manor wards would have recognized you."

"Er... and Ragnok?" Holly asked. "He saw me as Harry's mother."

"I told him you're the reincarnation of Lily Potter," Death said. "At that point you thought you were still Lily, so technically, he did not lie to you. The world will see you as a member of the Evans family. Distantly related to Lily and Petunia Evans, but still enough that you are part of the Minor House of Evans, and first in line for the Heir of Ravenclaw House, which Lily was, so there you go."

"So, Melina is right?" Holly asked, "I am Holly Evans, I just thought I was Lily."

"She's a smart elf – listen to her," Death said.

"Okay," Holly said, "So, what do I tell Harry?"

"You'll figure it out," Death said. "Oh, and tell Harry he needs to put up an Unplottable Ward on the house until he can get Sirius as a Secret Keeper. That is a good plan, by the way. But you need a temporary solution. Dumbledore will soon be looking for him."

Before Holly could respond, she blacked out. When she woke up, she was in her bedroom at Potter Manor. It was still quite dark out. She grabbed her wand from the bedside table, and cast Tempus. It was barely four-o-clock.

"Bloody hell, Death, next time give me a dream at six or seven-o-clock in the morning!" Holly said.

She groaned and, feeling peaceful and hopeful about the second half of the discussion with Harry later that day, fell back to sleep.

Meanwhile, in Egypt...

William Weasley, known to most as Bill, stepped into the Gringotts Wizarding Bank in Egypt, and headed for his boss' office. He had received a summons that morning to meet with his boss. This surprised him. He rarely ever met with his boss, usually it was meetings with the assistants. He knew this meeting was very important.

When he reached his boss' office, he rapped his knuckles on the door. A grunt was heard, and he stepped into the office.

"Keeper Firebrand," Bill said, bowing respectfully, "I received your summons, sir."

"Curse Breaker Weasley," Firebrand said, "Yes. I received a letter last night from our sister Bank in London. Apparently you have been summoned back home. You are to be transferred to London today."

Bill frowned. He had not been in England for a couple years now, and then it was only to spend Christmas with his family before he returned to Egypt. For years, all he ever wanted to do was become a Curse Breaker for Gringotts. It was an exciting job, very adventurous.

Growing up as a young boy, he joined his parents sometimes when they went to Gringotts in London. He had fallen in love with the bank, and all its glorious beauty. Most children were afraid of the Goblins. He respected them as a child, adored them. What exciting lives they must lead! He wanted to work there when he left Hogwarts.

And then reality set in. His mother discovered his dream-job and disapproved of such things. She told him a job at the Ministry would bring honor to the Family. He was the future Head of his House, after all. With his NEWT results, he could become a high-ranking official amongst the respectful purebloods there if he worked hard.

But he wouldn't allow his dreams to stay only just that – he would have the job, even if it meant he had to leave his home and country. His heart had broken the day Gringotts in London had offered him a promising job. He told them he wanted the job, but his desires to stay in England had been lost. His mother had demanded too much, he needed to get away from her. So they told him he would have a job in their sister Bank Egypt. He was thrilled, and accepted it immediately. In Egypt, he found that he would get to explore pyramids and tombs, breaking various curses and wards on said locations. These few years since then had been wonderful.

And now it seemed he was going back home.

"Did your colleagues in London explain why I am being transferred, Keeper Firebrand?" Bill asked.

Firebrand glared at Bill. "No. Just that you are being transferred. It is odd, I admit. But that usually means that they have their own reasons. You are to take a Portkey in three hours straight to Diagon Alley in London, and meet with Ragnok there."

Bill blinked, flabbergasted. "I am meeting with the King, sir?"

"His son," Firebrand said, "Ragnok the Sixth. He is heir to the throne. I expect you to respect him like you respect me. Any question he asks, be as truthful as you can. Any request he makes, honor it. Especially if you wish to keep your job. Here is your Portkey. It will activate in three hours. You are not to dally in other affairs before you meet with Ragnok. This means you will not greet your family until after your business with the Bank. Do you understand?"

"Of course, sir," Bill said.

"Go," Firebrand said, "pack your things and be ready to go home!"

"Yes, sir!" Bill said, nodding; he walked over to Firebrand's desk and took the Portkey. "It was an honor to work for you, sir. I can only hope I can return soon."

"I share that honor, Curse Breaker Weasley," Firebrand said. "Go, and may your continued honor to our Nation bring you treasure."

"May your gold keep flowing and the blood of your enemies soak the ground below them," Bill replied, respectfully. "By your leave."

Firebrand nodded. Bill turned and left the office.

It was an easy promise to make to respect and honor Firebrand and Ragnok's requests. He would not disappoint the future King of the Goblin Nation.

Oh, how he would come to regret that promise. It would be a difficult one to keep.

It was slightly past seven-o-clock in the morning, and Holly was currently in the dining room, just beginning to work her way through a plate of breakfast.

"Um... Holly?" Harry's voice said, quietly.

Holly looked up from her breakfast. Harry stood there in the archway of the dining room, staring at her. She looked at him expectantly. It seemed it was time to continue the next part of the conversation.

"I thought about what you told me last night," Harry said. "I even slept on it. And I have decided my response."

"Okay," Holly said.

"Holly," Harry said, "I don't remember my mother. Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon never talked about her. Or Dad. Not much anyway. There weren't any pictures of either of them. They told me my parents died in a car crash."

Holly felt angry tears in her eyes. Now that she knew she was not Petunia's sister, she felt better about thinking about vengeance on the woman.

"What I am trying to say is," Harry said, "I don't think I need a mother. I never grew up with a mother, nor the care and love that could be provided by one. I wouldn't know how to deal with it. Not yet anyway."

Holly opened her mouth to begin her planned discussion, when Harry raised a hand to stop her.

"Let me finish," Harry said, "What I need is a friend. And ever since I met you, Holly Evans, that is what you were to me. You're smart and funny and..." he paused and blushed, a deep red. Whatever he wanted to add to that, he had stopped himself, obviously embarrassed by it. He then continued. "I've never had a friend, Holly. Dudley made sure of that. He'd beat up or threatened anyone who wanted to be my friend. But... yesterday, I think I met my first best friend I've ever had. And I hope that can continue."

Holly stood up and walked around the table.

"Before we begin there is something I need to do," she said.

Harry looked a bit fearful, as if afraid she might hex him or something. Then she walked over to him and hugged him. Harry hesitated for a moment, then wrapped his arms around her. She closed her eyes, trying to block out the thoughts coming to her mind. She could almost picture James hugging Lily. Lily used to feel so warm in her husband's arms. She felt safe.

That was when she finally understood. She was thinking of Lily as a different person. This is what Death meant. She was Holly, not Lily. Sure, she had Lily's memories, thoughts, magical skills, and so on, but that was just a "leftover" as Death called it. She was Holly Marie Evans.

She backed out of Harry's hug and smiled at him.

"Harry, I spoke to Death again last night," Holly said; Harry raised his eyebrows questioningly, "In a dream. He told me I was wrong. I am not Lily, I am not your mother. When she walked through the portal, she – I don't know. It would be cruel to say she died again. There is a part of her in me. I have her memories and magical knowledge and things like that. Death sent me here to help you. He needed you to have a friend your age. So he created one. I am technically your mother reincarnated. But I am Holly Marie Evans – you could call me a distant relation, but close enough to be in the House of Evans and the elder Heir of Ravenclaw."

Harry's expression had continually softened as Holly continued her explanation. Now he had a wide smile across his face.

"That makes me feel so much better," he said. "Don't get me wrong, a mother wouldn't have been so bad. But a best friend is much better at the moment."

"Best friends – that sounds brilliant," Holly said, as she hugged him again, "Does that mean I can stay here at Potter Manor?"

Harry backed away and looked at her as if she had two heads. Then he smiled again.

"I would never make you leave," Harry said. "For one, it seems our discussion last night was just getting started. And two... as you said, you were sent here to meet me. To help me. You've helped me a great deal already. But it seems like this is only the start."

"Yes, this is only the beginning," Holly said, "Can we sit down? It is time I tell you everything I know."

Harry nodded. Holly returned to her chair, while Harry sat across from her. At that moment, Melina popped into the room, and set a plate of breakfast and a glass of orange juice in front of him. She then bowed and popped away.

Holly's smile still hadn't left her face. She thanked Death for visiting her during the night. She didn't know what she would have done if it hadn't happened.

"Okay," Holly said, "Thanks to Lily's memories, I remember so much of what happened to her. I remember – well, I remember your birth!"

Harry made a face. "For my sanity, please don't tell me that. You're Holly, not my mother. We're clear on that now."

"Sorry," Holly said, with a wince, "Okay. Sorry, but I still have to give you a little bit of Lily-vision, alright."

Harry giggled at the phrasing, and nodded.

Holly continued. "I remember the events surrounding Halloween of 1981. Including those months leading up to it. A lot of fishy things went on during those months, and until Death explained them to Lily, it didn't make sense. And then... there's what happened in Limbo. Let me finish before you start giving me questions or ranting. Because, believe me, you will do both."

"I promise," Harry said.

Holly inhaled and exhaled then began to tell Harry about everything Death had told Lily. Holly could tell Harry was doing his best to keep his promise. There were times when he looked as if he would start a rant. But Holly would continue on so Harry would calm down enough to not miss anything. When she finally finished, Harry pushed away his untouched plate of breakfast.

"I'm a pawn," Harry muttered. "A weapon, a tool in some sick bastard's game. All because of a Prophecy. Do you – do you know the prophecy?"

"Yes and no," Holly said.

"What do you mean by that?" Harry asked.

"Harry, Dumbledore told your parents about the prophecy," Holly said, "I just explained to you that the man created fantasy Wills from your parents just so he could use it against you. It is possible he might have created a fantasy prophecy as well."

"Oh," Harry said, "Right. That is a possibility."

"However," Holly said, "Deep in the Ministry of Magic, there is what is known as the Department of Mysteries. It holds many secrets and many rooms. One of the rooms is called the Hall of Prophecies. The Prophecy would be in that hall. Only you or Riddle could obtain it. "

"Okay," Harry said, "It is probably best I retrieve it before he does. So... how do we do that?"

"Neville Longbottom's has a Great Uncle known as Algie to his family," Holly said, "It is what Augusta, Neville's Grandmother, refers to her brother as. His real name is Algernon Croaker, and he is the Head Unspeakable – basically the top dog in the Department of Mysteries. We're already going to have to get close with Neville. Death sent me a letter yesterday, and told me Neville is the Heir of Hufflepuff."

"He was one of this group of friends that Death suggested," Harry said. "A Muggleborn, and the three children of three of those names on my father's Will."

"Technically Susan is Amelia's niece," Holly said.

"Semantics," Harry said, waving a dismissive hand; Holly was surprised he knew what that meant, "Either way, it would be nice to have more friends. Do you think the head of the DMLE knows this Croaker bloke?"

"Probably," Holly said.

"Okay, we're going to be meeting Madam Bones sometime in the next few days to tell her about my godfather," Harry said, "We could ask her, and then if things work well, I can hear the Prophecy for myself. Okay, so it seems this Prophecy is where it all started. Albus Dumbledore heard it and started playing this evil chess-match which culminated in my parents' deaths, my godfather's imprisonment, and me ending up at the Dursleys."

"Correct," Holly said.

"Death said that Dumbledore illegally left me at the Dursleys," Harry said, "Because he wanted me weak, alone and friendless. I can picture that. If I was alone until September 1st, I would have looked for the first person who was nice to me and became their friend. Sort of like you did."

"Except I really want to be your friend," Holly said, smiling. "Unlike someone like this youngest son of Molly Weasley who will apparently want to be your friend to spy on you and get paid for it."

"Won't happen," Harry said, "We're already working against that. Imagine this, Holly. By the time September 1st comes, I will be taller, stronger, smarter and more powerful in magic. And I'll have at least one cool friend."

Holly smiled. "Dumbledore won't know what hit him. Oh, speaking of that. Can you ask your ring questions, and will it answer if you do?"

"Haven't tried," Harry said, "Let's see... it talks to me in my mind, so I will think of a question. What question?"

"Potter Manor needs to be Unplottable until you can get a Secret Keeper," Holly said. "Dumbledore will apparently be on the prowl later today. Apparently he had monitors on you, and they are now destroyed thanks to your Emancipation. So he'll be looking for you."

Harry nodded and looked at his Potter Family Ring. A moment later he looked back at Holly.

"I'll be right back," he said.

Then he left the dining room. Holly resumed eating her breakfast while she waited for Harry. A few minutes later he returned.

"That was easy," he said, as he sat down, and pulled his breakfast plate back toward him, "I just requested through the Wardstone that Potter Manor be Unplottable. It isn't as strong or secure as a Fidelius Charm, but it will work for now."

"Brilliant," Holly said.

"Alright," Harry said, "What should we do right now? Or rather, after breakfast?"

"You need to exercise and practice some magic," Holly said, "To help you with your magical core. I am going to research Legilimency and Occlumency. Apparently Dumbledore can read our minds. We can't have that. But I think I have a solution. Also, I need a favor from you."

"Name it," Harry said.

"I am going to write out some letters to Augusta and Neville Longbottom, the Lovegoods and the Bones," Holly said, "Now, we might not need to send the one to the Bones, because Ragnok will be contacting Madam Bones soon. But we'll have it just in case. I would suggest your father's old friend Remus Lupin too, but maybe not bring him around until we can free Sirius. However, it needs to come from you, because it is you, the Potter Heir, that they will want to reunite with. So I will write the letters, then you copy them in your handwriting. The letters will just be an initial greetings. We'll work on inviting them over here for a nice discussion soon enough. Also, we don't know if they are friendly with Dumbledore and/or the Weasleys. We have to make sure they don't tell either families about the letters."

"How?" Harry asked.

"Well, we can't trust them to do so through a simple letter," Holly said, "So I'll have to do some research and figure out a good charm to prevent them from telling anyone about the letters."

"Sounds good," Harry said, "It won't... hurt them... will it?"

"Nah," Holly said, "Just prevent them from talking about it to anyone but those we trust. Basically it will make their tongues stick to the roof of their mouths."

"Wicked!" Harry said.

"Yep," Holly said, "Speaking of letters, what did you name your owl?"

"Hedwig," Harry said, "I found an etymology book in the Potter Manor library. Hedwig was the patron saint of orphans."

"Well, how about that?" Holly said, "I named mine Gianna, after the patron saint of mothers. She... er... sacrificed herself for her child."

"Fitting," Harry said.

Silence descended amongst the table as they resumed their breakfast. Holly knew the discussion wasn't completely over. She knew Harry must have more to talk about. But she would wait until he was ready. She was just happy that he still wanted her as a friend.

Meanwhile at Hogwarts...

Albus Dumbledore rapped his knuckles on the door of Rubeus Hagrid's hut. A few moments later, the door opened and Hagrid stood there.

"Good morning, Headmaster!" Hagrid said, cheerfully, "Didn't expect to see ya this early. Would you care for a spot o' breakfast, sir?"

"I just had a wonderful meal brought on by our house-elves, Hagrid," Dumbledore said, "But I do need to ask you a few questions."

"Oh, well, come on in!" Hagrid said.

Dumbledore smiled, looking more cheerful than he was, and stepped into the hut.

"I can't be long I'm afraid," he said, "I have a few errands to run, so I will make this quick. First off, I want to apologize for my behavior in my office yesterday evening. I may have seemed a touch angry at one point. It was wrong of me to direct such anger at you."

"Apology accepted, Headmaster," Hagrid said.

Dumbledore smiled. Hopefully that was enough buttering up to the man-child, so he could get more information out of him.

"I was wondering," he said, "if you remembered any more about your visit with Harry Potter yesterday?"

Hagrid frowned and squinted his eyes, looking thoughtful for a moment. "No, sir. Cannot say I do. Sorry."

"Unfortunate," Dumbledore said, "Well, if you do remember, you know where to usually find me."

"Yes, sir," Hagrid said. "Is there anything I can do to make it up to you, sir?"

Dumbledore smiled. "Actually there is, sir. That Cerberus you bought off of that Irish gentleman. Where is he at the moment?"

"Oh you mean Fluffy!" Hagrid said, with a large grin, "He's in the Forest, has a little home a few yards in."

"Good to know," Dumbledore said, "I may have a new home for him in the castle before too long. Do give him the good news for me, will you?"

If Hagrid thought any of this odd, he did not show it. "Yes, sir! He'll be quite pleased! I think one of his heads is rather afraid of the forest."

"That's a good lad," Dumbledore said, "I will see you later. I must be going."

Hagrid bid him goodbye, and Dumbledore left the hut. He then Apparated on the spot – being the Headmaster had its many privileges after all and this was one - his destination: Little Whinging in Surrey.

While Dumbledore was arriving at Privet Drive, Bill Weasley was currently sitting in a small room in the Gringotts Bank in London. He had arrived at the bank ten minutes prior and was immediately met up by an assistant of Keeper Ragnok the Sixth. The Goblin had escorted him into this room and told him to wait.

Suddenly, the door opened and a Goblin walked in. Bill immediately stood in respect.

"Ah, Curse Breaker William Weasley," the Goblin said, "I am Keeper Ragnok the Sixth, Heir to the Royal Goblin throne. It was I who summoned you here."

"Greetings Ragnok," Bill said, "May fortune favor you and give you a long life. My closest friends and most of my family tend to call me Bill."

"Bill," Ragnok said; he sat across the table from Bill, who immediately sat down after, "May honor and honesty serve you well today."

Bill bowed respectfully, all whilst trying not to look surprised at this. This greeting only usually came when the Goblins demanded such honesty. Whatever was about to happen was rather serious.

"Tell me, Curse Breaker Weasley," Ragnok said, "How loyal are you to the Goblin Nation?"

Bill raised his eyebrows. "I believe I am highly loyal, sir. I hope I can prove such loyalty today."

"I hope so too," Ragnok said; he snapped his fingers and a cream-colored folder appeared in front of Bill. "Please read through the contents of that folder."

Bill opened the folder and proceeded to read through the information shown. This time he couldn't hold the surprise nor shock that was emanating from his face.

"Did you know, Curse Breaker Weasley?" Ragnok asked, "About any of this?"

"I swear upon my honor as a staff member of Gringotts and as a wizard that I did not," Bill said, "I admitted there were some possible suspicions, or weird feelings at one point or another. I-I mean... I was a student fresh into Hogwarts when the events of Halloween of 1981 took place. About a week later – I received a letter from my parents. In it was their reactions to what had taken place on Halloween. Also, to my surprise, my Mother told me that an Aunt on her side of the family had died and had left her an inheritance. I remember being quite happy. They had barely been able to afford my tuition at Hogwarts, and I was thrilled that the rest of my family wouldn't have to worry about such things."

Bill sighed and pushed the folder away. "Now I see where that money came from. A bride price in a Betrothal Contract? My mother made a Betrothal Contract for my sister, who would be four months old later that month? My sister doesn't know about this! I don't think the rest of my siblings do either. Hell, I'm not sure my father knows about this! G50,000 paid for by the Potter family? Isn't Harry Potter the last member of the Potters? I thought he was living with Muggles since that Halloween night."

"He was," Ragnok said, "Albus Dumbledore signed Harry's part of the contract. However, Bill, there is something you need to understand. Albus Dumbledore is not Harry Potter's magical guardian."

"But," Bill said, "I thought if magical children didn't have a magical guardian, then one was appointed to them – unless..."

"Unless one was appointed to them in their parents' Wills," Ragnok said. "As to that subject, we will speak no more of it."

Bill nodded, though his mind wandered. He could easily figure it out. The Potters' Wills had been recently opened... by whom? Harry Potter himself?

"Curse Breaker Weasley," Ragnok said, with a warning tone, "Whatever may be going through your head, I would secure it away tightly. Such information is to remain secret for now. Especially from skilled Legilimens. If word gets out to the wrong people, your job will be terminated and you may be held on criminal charges."

Bill nodded. He knew Dumbledore was a Legilimens. Apparently Ragnok didn't want the man to know about this yet. "What do you want me to do, Keeper Ragnok? Obviously I was brought here for something."

"Originally, you were brought here to be questioned about knowledge of the contents in that folder," Ragnok said, "Obviously you didn't know anything about it. Now, you are to make a decision. Where does your loyalty and honor lie? With Gringotts or with your mother?"

Bill raised his eyebrows. What a question to ask! Couldn't he say both? Then he had an epiphany.

"Oh Merlin," he groaned, "Oh, no. Mum. That Betrothal Contract. It was void and unofficial from the very beginning. Dumbledore isn't Potter's magical guardian. Which means – oh, no..."

"Which means," Ragnok said, "your mother stole G50,000 from Harry Potter. Most of that money is currently in your mother's private vault she's had since before her first year at Hogwarts. That money will be able to be reclaimed easily. However, much of the money has been spent. It was spent on your siblings' tuitions and other personal things whenever your mother felt she needed some extra money So, I ask again. Where does your loyalty and honor lie?"

"Until the truth is discovered," Bill said, "With my family. I will accept any punishment you hand me."

"Your honesty is welcomed, Curse Breaker Weasley," Ragnok said. "The truth is easily obtained. You have one mission at the moment, Bill, then you will be suspended until the investigation is finished. You are to go to your mother and inform her that she is to meet me for an appointment here on Saturday at 10:00 in the morning. Under no circumstances are you to inform her of anything that has been revealed. To do so would take away the element of surprise and give her time to make a thought-out defense. All you will tell her is that we request her presence. Better yet, tell her she and your father have been invited to a Will Reading on Saturday and that she could possibly obtain some money."

Bill could see how Ragnok's mind worked. This was a test of his true loyalty. If he told his mother this information instead of the truth, she would be distracted with the thought of gaining some money. Then she wouldn't be prepared for what she would actually find out. If he told her the truth, he would lose his job and possibly face punishment from the Goblin Nation. Such was the risk when taking a job for with the bank. Bill could only nod his head.

"It will be done, Keeper Ragnok," he said.

"Excellent," Ragnok said, "You are dismissed."

Bill walked out of the room so fast, he forgot to give a respectful goodbye. He was too distracted by the revelations he had just witnessed. His mother had stolen money from the Boy-Who-Lived, the hero that vanquished You-Know-Who! Even if there was a possible chance she had somehow been tricked, the repercussions this would have on the family if word of this got out! Bill shuddered. He didn't want to think about it.

He walked out of Gringotts with his head held high, and started off toward the Leaky Cauldron. He needed a stiff drink. He was about to go home for the first time in many months, and on top of that, he was about to lie to his mother. He had lied to his mother before, but this... he wasn't sure his mother would ever forgive him for this.

Yes, a stiff drink or three sounded good right about now.

Bill Weasley wasn't the only one who had plans on going to the Burrow that morning. Albus Dumbledore appeared outside the ward line of the Burrow, then started off down the driveway.

He had just come from Privet Drive and had received some bad news. Harry Potter was not there, nor had he been seen by the Dursleys since Hagrid had retrieved him from the shack. On top of that, the blood wards had completely vanished. He had questioned the Dursleys about Harry, only after applying an Imperius Curse on Vernon Dursley to tell him where Harry was.

Even under the Imperius Curse, Vernon spouted angry words to Dumbledore, telling him how a monster of a man had barged into the island home they were holidaying at and attacked his son, and kidnapped the boy! Apparently Hagrid had also taken the boat that the Dursleys and Harry had used to get to the island. Vernon was raging mad about how he had to flag down a police boat, and was lucky enough to have found a flair to alert said boat, all because that monster had stolen his boat!

Dumbledore was in a quandary. Harry Potter was no longer with his relatives. The Blood wards wouldn't have come down that quickly, not unless Harry had either chosen not to live there anymore, or was no longer "legally obligated" to live there. This only added fuel to his theory that Harry Potter had somehow learned a lot of information during his visit to Gringotts the day before. Emancipation would cause the blood wards to fall. But that would not cause all those monitors of his to fall.

So... Dumbledore could now only think of two options. Harry was either now an Emancipated Lord – meaning he had discovered his parents' Wills – or he was dead. Dumbledore was sad to think that he didn't know which was the more depressing option.

If Harry was still alive, and found out he was an Emancipated Lord, then it was also possible he had met Ragnok, the Keeper of the Potter Vault and financial records. It was also possible that the old Betrothal Contract was found. If the Will was opened, then they would discover Dumbledore wasn't Harry Potter's magical guardian. And if that was discovered then...

Dumbledore shook his head, clearing his mind. He couldn't speculate yet. There was a reason he was at the Burrow right now. If the Betrothal Contract had been found, then Molly Weasley would receive a letter, due to the Automatic Reply Notices the Goblins used. He needed to know if Molly received any word from Gringotts.

So he strode to the front door of the oddly-shaped house known as the Burrow. Inside could hear Molly Weasley screaming.

"Fred! George! Get dressed! Running around in your underwear, for Merlin's sake! Percy, be a dear and wake up Ginny and Ron for breakfast! I am too busy to do it myself. And make sure your father found the freshly laundered bath-towels as well? Thank you."

Albus chuckled heartily and rapped his knuckles on the front door. It opened a moment later, and Molly Weasley stood there, with a package of bacon in one hand and her wand in the other.

"Albus!" Molly said, chuckling, "Why, this is a surprise! Come in! You'll have to excuse the ruckus. Early mornings around here, always hectic!"

"Never a dull moment at the Burrow," Dumbledore agreed, as he walked into the house.

"Are you here on Hogwarts business?" Molly said, "The Hogwarts letters came early this year, but you probably know that already! I already did the school shopping for the kids just yesterday."

"Yesterday?" Dumbledore asked, "You didn't happen to see Harry Potter there, did you?"

"Harry Potter?" Molly asked, "No, Albus, I did not. Was he there?"

"Hagrid escorted him there to do some school shopping for his eleventh birthday," Dumbledore said. "But he appeared to have misplaced the boy early on."

"Misplaced?" Molly asked, "I do hope the boy is okay?"

"I'm sure he is," Dumbledore said, with a smile. "The reason I am here is curiosity. Have you received any notices from Gringotts? Either today or yesterday?"

Molly raised her eyebrows. Then she frowned and shook her head. "No. Why? Should I have?"

"No, it is probably nothing," Dumbledore said. "There was an incident at the bank last night concerning our friend Griphook. I know he is your Vault Keeper."

"Oh, well I hope everything is alright!" Molly said.

"Again, I am sure everything is fine," Dumbledore said, "As you know, Griphook is an acquaintance of mine, and I thought he might give me a letter to inform me if he is alright. He hasn't yet. I was just worried. That is all I wanted to ask. I was out and about so I thought I'd stop by instead of give you a call on the Floo. I'd best be going now. I'm a busy man. I will let you tend to your flock."

"It is good to see you, Albus," Molly said, "Give me a call on the Floo if you hear anything about Griphook, or even about dear Harry. I'm very much hoping my youngest, Ron, will be friends with Harry at Hogwarts come September."

"I think I could give a good word in here or there and encourage such things," Dumbledore said, "Have a good day, Molly."

Molly waved goodbye to Dumbledore, and he left the house, then walked back up the driveway with a much lighter step. If Molly hadn't received a notice from Gringotts yet, then perhaps the Betrothal Contract information hadn't been discovered yet.

Dumbledore smiled to himself. Perhaps he was entirely wrong about all of this. Maybe Harry had indeed found a friend, and was staying at their house for the night. The Blood Ward's disappearance was mysterious. However, as soon as Harry returned to the house on Privet Drive, Dumbledore would put the wards back up, along with a few others.

Finding Harry would be easy. He would contact a few old minions – err –- friends from the Order of the Phoenix and they would jump at the chance to search for the Boy-Who-Lived. Yes, he was certain that Harry would be back in his cupboard by the weekend. He made is way to the beginning of the driveway, then apparated: destination: the home of his trusted friend, Alastor Moody. The paranoid, retired Auror was very good at tracking certain individuals down.

Molly Weasley stared out the window at the spot Dumbledore had apparated from. She certainly hadn't expected him to show up! She was quite embarrassed that she showed up announced. What if he had seen the twins in their underwear!

The idea that Harry Potter had quite possibly been at Diagon Alley the same time she was, was a weird thought. After all, the boy was going to be her future son-in-law. The Betrothal Contract made when Ginny was still sucking on breast-milk solidified that outcome. The future bride-to-be in question entered the kitchen and sat down at the table.

"I was already awake, Mum," Ginny said, "I was reading the newest Harry Potter Book you bought for me. Thank you for the early birthday present! I made a birthday card for him yesterday, did I tell you? I wish I could send it to him."

"You'll be able to send one next year, dear," Molly said, as she served her daughter a plate of breakfast. "Ron will most likely be Harry's friend come September, and maybe even his best friend if he plays his cards right."

"Maybe he will ask Harry to write letters to me!" Ginny said, "I'm sure he could use a pen-pal!"

Molly smiled and patted Ginny on the shoulder. She was quite proud to encourage this behavior from her daughter. She had been doing so since Ginny was quite small after all. Those Harry Potter books were an excellent way for Ginny to get to know her future husband. Molly was always proud to buy the newest sequel in the Harry Potter series when it came out. Ginny had every single one of the books.

Suddenly, Molly heard a whooshing sound from the sitting room that indicated the Floo was being used. Molly walked into the sitting room and was happily surprised to see her eldest son, Bill, standing there.

"William!" she cooed, chuckling happily, as she hurried over to him and hugged him, "What a surprise! What are you doing home?"

Ginny squealed happily, as she raced past Molly – who had just backed out of her hug - and hugged her eldest and favorite brother.

"Hey, little Spitfire, you've grown a lot since I saw you last!" Bill said.

"Ginny, go find your brothers," Molly said, "Tell them Bill is home. And tell your Dad."

"I'm here," Arthur said, "Bill, glad to see you, son! What are you doing here?"

"Actually," Bill said, as Ginny hurried up the stairs, "I'm here on bank business, delivering a message. Then I have the perk of having a few days off, at least till Saturday."

"A message?" Molly asked, "What about?"

Molly's was reminded of her earlier discussion with Dumbledore. Was she about to hear the message Dumbledore was referencing?

"The two of you have been invited to a Will Reading on Saturday at ten-o-clock that morning," Bill said; he sighed, then cleared his throat. "Don't know who it is for, but I was told there may be a bit of Gold in it for you. An inheritance of some sort."

"Interesting," Arthur said, "Perhaps one of my many relatives passed away and I did not know it. Thank you for the message, son."

"Care for a spot of breakfast?" Molly said, "You look peaky! Do they feed you in Egypt? And that hair of yours! Needs a trim!"

"My hair is fine, Mum," Bill said, "My co-workers like it. But breakfast sounds good."

"Well, come on then!" Molly said.

Soon, most of the Weasleys in attendance were in the kitchen, greeting Bill, welcoming him home and asking him about Egypt. Ron was the only one who hadn't appeared yet.

"RONALD WEASLEY!" Molly yelled, "WAKE UP AND GET DOWN HERE THIS INSTANT!"

"I'm here, Mum," Ron said, a moment later as he walked into the kitchen, "I'm awake. What's for breakfast?"

Ron immediately sat down and grabbed the plate being offered to him. He was too busy stuffing his face, that he was already halfway through his first plate of food before he saw his eldest brother. His greeting to Bill was barely audible due to the quantity of egg in his mouth.

Molly was too distracted happily wondering about how much money they would get on Saturday, that she didn't even reprimand Ron for talking with his mouth full.

And so ends another chapter.

Quite a lot happened this chapter! I hope you liked the parts of this chapter with Holly and Harry. I know many of you were waiting for the discussion. There is still plenty to talk about, though much of it will come up in random discussion. The fact that Holly is mostly Holly, and only few parts Lily was something I was thinking a lot about. The main reason for this is so that her future relationship with Harry can maybe be called pseudo-incest, instead of actual incest. Maybe that will relieve some of those worries some readers and reviewers have over such a situation.

Dumbledore's inaction toward certain things (such as getting results in Gringotts) comes from partially paranoia, and partially fear that he just didn't want to know whether his suspicions were correct or not. He's hoping beyond hope that he or one of his Order will find Harry and bring him back to the Dursleys, and everything will be fine. By the time he realizes it isn't fine, it will be too late.

Also, in this chapter you see the direction I am headed with Ginny. As you could probably tell, she's basically brainwashed right now. She's almost like a robot in her obsession with Harry, thanks to her mother. This will continue for a while, probably at least until partial-way through Second year. Also, Molly discussing being at Diagon Alley came from a line in the first book where a plump woman at the marketplace complained about Dragon liver prices. It was most likely Molly in that scene.

Next chapter: More Holly and Harry! Introduction of various future important characters as they receive owl post. And more! Molly's Gringotts meeting won't come for two or three chapters. There are other storylines to begin first.

Hope you liked this chapter!