A few weeks later, after Arthur had returned to work, Molly was in the kitchen preparing dinner for that evening. She heard the back door open and wheeled around to see who it was.

"Mumma?" It was Percy, who was red faced from the chilly November weather.

"What is it, Perce?"

"Mumma, can I have a pet?" Molly smiled at him, however, she didn't know if they could afford for Percy to have a pet as they had had to buy a lot of new things for Ginny.

"What kind of pet, love?"

"A rat. I found one out by Dad's shed and he looks friendly." Molly thought it over for a moment, a rat would be fairly easy for Percy to take care of and he hardly ever asked for anything.

"Well, bring him here so I can take a look at him, Perce."

"Okay, Mumma." He dashed back outside and seconds later he re-entered, carrying a rat that looked rather shabby, as though he had been on the run for quite some time.

Molly carefully took the rat from him and placed him on the table. She then set about thoroughly inspecting it, making sure it didn't carry any sort of disease that could be spread to the other children. When she was finished, she looked up at Percy's smiling face and handed the rat back to him.

"You can keep him, Perce. What are you going to call him?"

"Scabbers. Can I take him to my room and play with him?"

"Yes, and I'll have your father see if he can find a cage for him okay?"

"Okay, Mum." Percy gave her a hug before running upstairs to play with his new pet.

That night when Arthur arrived home from work, she told him about the newest addition to the family.

"Molly, do you think it was a good idea to give Percy a pet? Five is a little young to have the responsibility of taking care of one."

"Arthur, I told you, Percy found the rat. Besides, Percy is so careful and I'm sure he can handle it."

"I'm not saying he can't, it's just,"

"Just what?"

"I guess I wish you would have consulted me before telling Percy he could keep it."

"Why?"

"We don't know where that rat's been, if it has diseases or not, Merlin, Molly I could go on forever."

"Arthur, do you honestly think I would allow our son to have a stray rat without looking at it first? I checked Scabbers over; he's perfectly healthy, although he looks as if he's been to hell and back. But if you really want to go upstairs and tell Percy he can't keep it and break his poor little heart, by all means go ahead I'm not going to stop you. Besides, I recall a few short weeks ago, you didn't bother consulting me before bringing six pumpkins into this house for a Halloween celebration."

"Okay, Molly I get it, Percy can keep Scabbers. Have you got him a cage yet?"

"No, I told Percy I'd have you see if you can find one."

"Well, I don't know about the finding part, but I can definitely get him one." Just then, Percy came back downstairs carrying Scabbers and seeing that his dad was home, he walked over to Arthur and held out the rat.

"Want to hold him Daddy?"

"Not right now, son. But if you come with me out to the shed, I think we can get a cage for the little guy." Molly watched as Arthur led the small boy out to the shed, in search of a cage. Just when she turned to start dinner, Ginny woke up from her nap, demanding to be fed and changed. Over dinner, Percy couldn't quit talking about Scabbers. The other boys, who had not yet heard the about Percy's pet immediately began protesting the fact that Percy was five and if anyone got a pet at all, it should be Bill or Charlie since they were older.
Before the argument got too out of hand, Molly broke in and explained that Percy had found Scabbers and had asked her about keeping him first, he would be keeping the rat.

"But Mum! Percy's five, I should be able to have a pet if he can!" Bill had argued, angrily.

"Bill, if you had found him and brought him to me, I would have let you keep him too. Now you five," she pointed to Bill, Charlie, Fred, George and Ron for good measure, "will leave Percy's rat alone. Understood?"

With a series of garbled "yes Mums" and a nod from Ron, the boys returned to their supper.
Later that night after the children had gone to bed and Ginny had been fed one last time, Molly and Arthur discussed the day's events.

"Interesting day, eh, love?" Arthur asked as he climbed into bed next to her and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Yes. Very interesting. Didn't think we would have an argument over a rat today that's for sure." Arthur chuckled at this and kissed her on the cheek.

"Well, it is to be expected, though isn't it? Out of six boys, one of them was bound to find some sort of animal and want to keep it."

"Yeah. They really are such dears though. I can't believe we're going to be sending Bill to Hogwarts next fall."

"I can't either. It seems like just yesterday I was holding him in my arms for the first time and looking into his bright blue eyes."

"Arthur, I believe that's what I'm supposed to say. But yes, they do grow up way too fast; before we know it, Ginny's going to be going."

"I know, Molly. I bet she turns out to be a full-fledged Daddy's girl though."

"You know what, Arthur? I think you're probably right. You two have a special bond. I can tell already."

"Really? Well, she is my little princess and even though she can't walk or talk yet, she's already got me wrapped around her finger." Molly snuggled closer to her husband as he finished his statement, happy that Arthur viewed his little girl that way. She had been a little worried that Ginny would be more of a tomboy than a girly-girl with so many brothers, but if Arthur treated her like a princess, maybe she would be more feminine after all.