Harry was confused. Dancing? Why should I learn how to dance? He thought to himself. He rejoined his 'family' and John spoke.

"What did Professor McGonagall want?"

"She told me to learn how to dance. Where am I joining to learn that?" he said.

"I know some basic steps, but Sara and Tia are experts," Anne said.

"Thanks. Can we get back to work? I'm really enjoying that." Harry said smiling.

Anne nodded her agreement and the two returned to her workshop. John had some errands to perform and Dora worked on her tan. She really loved her first assignment.

Elsewhere:

Bill Weasley had just returned from Egypt. Gringgots' employees can utilize a special connection to travel between different branches around the world; for a fee. He returned to the Burrow only to be tackled by his favorite sister. She was eager to see what types of books her brother had purchased; so was everyone else. They went to the kitchen then Bill resized the package. Everyone was amazed at the selection he acquired; he even bought a cookbook and joke catalog for his mum and the twins. All were very pleased and set about scanning through the various selections; even Ron. Ginny exclaimed.

"Bill this is fantastic. How did you get so many?"

"You said Harry didn't mind used books so I went to the shop I go to. I'm 'friends' with one of the clerks so she hooked me up."

"Just 'friends' Bill?" Charlie teased. Bill shot him a look that said, Later

Ginny retreated to her room to browse through a charms book when there was a knock on her door. She gave permission to enter and in walked Bill. He said.

"Keep this quiet."

He enlarged another package and gave it to a grinning Ginny. Inside were books that Molly might not approve of; Bill received some cracked ribs from Ginny's gratuitous hug.

Elsewhere still:

Sirius had just returned from an excursion to his mother's house. Remus asked.

"Did you find them?"

"Sure did. I hope they still work. How's the potion coming?"

"It will be ready in three days. What do you think his form will be?" he asked.

"Probably something that flies; then again Prongs flew well also."

"True, but Harry was born to fly. Let's try out those mirrors." Remus said.

The two friends took a break from their activities and tested the Two-way mirrors.

Back to Harry:

Harry and Anne had just finished staining their respective projects. Harry stepped back and was awestruck at the beauty of his desk. He couldn't believe it was the same one he bought the day before; Anne's curio cabinet was striking as well. The two called it a day and returned to the kitchen to see Sara and Tia chatting with Dora. Sara spoke.

"How's your project coming along babe?"

"Nearly finished. I can't believe how quickly it went. I never thought that muggle stuff and magic could work so well together."

"It's cool isn't it? We use magic at uni all the time. We found the all best spots to apperate and we even brew a few potions to help us with all-nighters." Tia said.

"I never thought of that either. I can't wait to do magic outside of school."

"I know what you mean. We felt the same way when we were your age. So Harrison, Dora told us you have a bit of a problem." Sara teased.

"Yeah, Aunt Min wants me to learn how to dance. I'm not sure why though. Will you help me? PLEASE!" He said flashing his emeralds at her.

"Put those away before you hurt someone. Of course I'll help but Tia is way better than me," Sara teased.

"Tia, will you PLEASE teach me how to dance?" he said sparkling his eyes.

"Those are powerful weapons you've got there. Of course I'll help, just put those away or I won't be responsible for what happens. I wouldn't want to hurt you." She teased.

"I'm tough, I can take it." he defended.

"You just can't look at a girl in a bikini, can you tough guy?" Dora teased.

"No fair. That's three against one." Harry exclaimed.

Everyone laughed then John thought to himself, I wish I had that problem at his age. Harry decided to change the subject then helped Anne prepare the evening meal. She was truly impressed with his culinary skills; as was everyone else. While eating dinner, John received a phone call on his mobile. Harry still couldn't believe things like that worked around magic. His called ended and he said.

"Harry do you have any plans next Sunday?"

Harry looked at his friends and they told him they were going to the beach on Saturday but Sunday was free. Harry said.

"I guess not. Why?"

"Some clients of mine and their kids are chartering a fishing boat. Do you want to come?"

"I've never been fishing before." Harry said dejectedly.

"No worries, I'll teach you; it's easy."

"I'm supposed to stay with you at all times when you leave here but I think you'll be alright without me for one day." Dora said.

"You won't get in trouble will you?" Harry said concerned.

"We had a lot of fun when we snuck out remember Bad-Boy." Sara teased.

"What happened and when?" Anne asked in a motherly tone.

"Last summer, Sara and I snuck out and went to a carnival. We had a great time."

"Then it's settled. Next Sunday, bright and early. We'll have some Man-Time together." John said proudly.

Harry wasn't sure what to make of that but if Hermione can have Girl Talk; it couldn't be wrong. Right? The evening ended watching a Godzilla movie.

Harry awoke to Hedwig making a fuss. She had been trying to get his attention for a short while and she was becoming impatient. He noticed she had a small parcel and relieved her of her burden. Harry spent a bit of time caring for his familiar then opened the package. Inside was a mirror with a note attached. It read.

Dear Prongslet,

This is a two-way mirror. Your dad and I used them at school. Just say my name to call me, just not too early.

Padfoot

Harry grinned but decided not to call at this moment. He removed himself from bed and started his day. After his morning workout, Dora spoke to Harry.

"Hey lover-boy, we need to get you some proper swimming gear. You up for a little shopping trip?"

"Sure. Muggle or magical?"

"Muggle, we can go after lunch." Dora said with a smile.

"Sounds good." Harry said.

They separated to shower and change. Harry picked up the mirror and said aloud, "Sirius Black." A moment later the smiling face of his godfather appeared. He said.

"Good morning pup. How are things going?"

"Everything's great; these are wicked. Where did you get them?"

"We found them in Hogsmeade ages ago. We used them when we were in different detentions and for other activities."

"I'll bet. How's everything there? How's Moony?"

"Everything's good and Moony says hello. I've got a surprise for you; Moony is brewing a potion that will help you find your animal form. It'll be ready in two days. Are you up for it?"

"I can't wait. I'll have to tell Dora when and where though." Harry said.

"She lets you call her that? How did you manage that?" Sirius asked.

"I have my ways. I have to go; I'll see you in two days." Harry said smiling.

"I'll see you then. To deactivate the mirror say mirror off." Sirius said and disappeared. Harry did the same and stored his mirror in his night stand. He found Dora and explained what was happening and she agreed to go with him; she wanted to see her favorite cousin and his friend. They relaxed and read a few of the more interesting tomes that Harry received recently, until it was time to leave.

Elsewhere:

Albus Dumbledore was having his morning repast when he decided enough was enough. He finished his meal and cast the receiver charm for the trackers on Harry with no response. The old wizard sighed heavily knowing this might happen. He is just to Slytherin for his own good, he thought. Dumbledore pulled out an old worn sock waved his wand then muttered "Portus" then he was gone.

He landed just outside the wards at the Burrow. He made his way quickly to the strange house then knocked on the door. It was answered by Arthur Weasley, who did not seem pleased by his arrival. He politely allowed entry then Dumbledore spoke.

"Good morning Molly, I hope I didn't come at a bad time."

"Not at all Albus. What can we do for you?" She asked politely but seething inside.

"You know very well why I am here. Where is Harry?" he asked nicely.

"He isn't here. He didn't come with us this summer." Molly said confidently.

"I see. Where did he go? I have an important matter to discuss with him." He said twinkling his eyes.

Molly Weasley couldn't take anymore. She lost her composure and said sternly, "He isn't here Albus, please leave. I know you want to take him back to those horrid muggles. I can't believe you would lie to me about Harry. I saw the evidence; How could you?" she finished while her voice steadily rose.

"Molly you must understand. Harry is very important and needs to be kept safe. I know his family misses him and he needs to return before the wards collapse completely. Where is he?" He finished sternly.

"Albus he isn't here. He is under the Fidelius Charm and I don't know where or with whom. Now you need to leave." Arthur said flatly.

"Very well. I am very disappointed in you. I'm sorry but I can not allow your children to return to Hogwarts this September. Good day." Albus said as he graciously exited the house.

Arthur was stunned by what Albus had done. He wasted no time in calling his superior Amelia Bones.

Albus arrived back in his office after his failure at the Burrow. He thought smugly to himself, Let us see how long it takes for Molly to break. He didn't wait long when his fireplace erupted. He went to answer the Floo call when he received a shock.

"Dumbledore what in bloody hell are you up to now? First you charm a letter against muggles; now you expel the entire Weasley family. Fix this or I'll fix you. I have the originals safely hidden. Good bye." Amelia Bones said angrily.

Albus sat in a state of shock. He didn't know who had the original letters and now he was stuck. He had no choice but to call and apologize to the Weasleys and reinstate them. Afterwards, he sat in his office and rubbed his forehead. He wasn't used to this type of treatment and he didn't like it. He pondered this new development, Why is this happening now? Why is everyone so disloyal to me? I know I've made some mistakes but this is unnecessary. Why can't everyone see that Harry needs to be safe? I only have his best interest at heart. I fear all is lost and I am helpless to fix this. I have only one option left. He was pulled from his musings by the arrival of a very angry looking Minerva. She said sternly.

"Good morning Albus. I see you just won't let this go."

"Minerva you don't understand. The wards that protect Harry are nearly gone and he needs to return to recharge them. He will have to stay with his family until it is time to return here."

"The wards only 'protect' him during the summer. The rest of the time they protect his relatives. They wouldn't need protecting if you hadn't intervened in the first place. If you send him back there now; they would be more horrid to him then before. Why is it so important for him to be there?" Minerva said.

"They are the only family he has left. If he is out in the open he is vulnerable to attack from his enemies. He needs to be kept safe." Albus stated firmly.

"You just will not change, will you? You just want to hide him away from the world until you need to use him again. I can't believe that you would expel the Weasleys just because they couldn't help you. Why are you acting like this? What is the real reason?"

Albus sighed heavily. He decided to answer his colleague truthfully. He said, "Very well, many years ago a boy named Tom Riddle came to Hogwarts. He was living in a muggle orphanage that wasn't pleasant. He asked me time and time again to help him but I refused and he eventually became Voldemort. I just wanted to protect Harry from those that would harm him and give him a proper home. It is unheard of in our world to treat a child poorly. Harry has asked me several time for help but I ignored him as well because I couldn't believe that Lily's only sister would treat a child poorly. I just wanted to try and fix the problem and keep Harry safe. I would have spoken to his family to treat him better. He only has to stay there a short time then he can go elsewhere."

"So you blame yourself for creating that monster and now because you put Harry through the same thing you feel he will turn out the same way, yet you still want him in that environment anyway; that seems counterproductive. Even if you did talk to them, what would stop them from treating Harry worse just because they were angry with you. If you truly want to help him and not just protect your tool; leave him be. He is safe and protected but more importantly, he is happy. He deserves this. Because of you, he hasn't had a proper childhood and you want to destroy what little he has left because of a prophecy. Does it say that he has to be mistreated to win? I don't know what else to say." Minerva finished solemnly and disgusted.

"Since Harry will share the prophecy with you anyway I will tell you this. There is a line that states 'marked as an equal.' Harry must be equal to Voldemort in every way." Albus said.

"Equal in power and skill perhaps, but it doesn't necessarily mean in his life. Did You-Know-Who have friends? Did he find love? Was he a Seeker? That line could mean almost anything; you are just interpreting it one way. If anything, Harry is superior to him in many ways." Minerva stated firmly.

"Of that I have no doubt, but why take the chance?" Albus retorted.

"I can't believe you said that. I'm warning you Albus, there are many people watching your activities. If you push to hard you will loose everything including Harry. If he does go dark it will be your fault and I'd rather not see that happen. Let him go; let him live. At the very least, it will give him something worth fighting for instead of just being told to do so," Minerva replied.

"I seem to have little alternative; I will try. There is just too much at stake to fail."

"Have you spoken to Severus yet?" Minerva asked changing the subject.

Albus sighed again and said, "Minerva you don't understand. Severus needs to act a certain way so the death eaters still at large will not suspect him."

"You will never change. I just hope things don't get any worse. By letting him act this way, you are only hurting the students. They deserve better; they deserve a proper education. That is your job as headmaster but if you keep acting this way that will not be for very much longer. The board will not tolerate his actions forever." Minerva reminded.

"Severus is also here to keep his students from joining Voldemort when he returns. He can not perform this function if he is removed." Albus responded.

"Is that so; perhaps I should ask Filius and Pomona to treat all Slytherin students as he treats the other houses. I wonder what the results would be." Minerva spat.

"You would tear the school apart if that happened. Do you want that?" Albus shouted.

"You don't seem to mind harming the students or the school. Why should I?" Minerva spat back.

Albus sighed and sat back in his chair. No matter what he said or did; there would always be contradictions. He knew what was happening but it was for the greater good. Wasn't it? Minerva left his office in an angry huff leaving him to his thoughts. He pondered, have I really harmed that many people? If they wanted a career needing potions they could have gotten private tutoring. I know Severus is strict but that is just his way. Once Voldemort is destroyed, it will improve but until then there is no other way. I shouldn't have to explain myself; people should just accept this. Things were much easier to deal with when people were ignorant.

Back with Harry:

Harry and Dora arrived in the back lot of the mall Sara brought him to last summer. They met Tia by the back door and went inside. While chatting with Tia, Harry saw Sara helping a customer. He wandered over to say hello when he saw, "Hermione?!" She was wearing tight jeans and t-shirt with trainers and looking very nice in those jeans. She saw him and squealed then threw he arms around him happily. They broke apart to see his friends grinning madly. Hermione said smiling.

"I think we've been set up."

"I don't doubt it but I'm not angry." Harry said grinning widely.

Sara, Tia, and Dora laughed and told them their plan. Harry introduced Dora and Hermione then went over to the swimwear section to shop. The ladies enjoyed having Harry model different swim trunks but he refused to model the Speedos; except for Hermione. After purchasing his suits, the couple spent some time wondering the mall window shopping. They stopped in a few specialty stores, including a book store, and purchased a few things but mostly just enjoyed being together.

They stopped by the food court for lunch and Harry told Hermione about magical build up and the things Anne and John found with his property. She was very interested in the magical build up and wanted to learn more. She would be out of town for two weeks with her parents so they wouldn't see each other again until late July. They spent the rest of the day enjoying each other's company and finding out of the way places to have a bit of privacy; Dora was around but very discrete.

The young couple returned to the store where they met to find Sara and Tia. They said their goodbyes then Hermione went with Sara to return home. Harry and Dora apperated back to the Jefferies home where they separated. Harry went to his room to unpack his purchases and found a letter from Ginny on his bed. He read the letter and his blood ran cold. He never thought the old coot would go this far.

Dinner was a quiet affair, Harry was deep in thought. John asked him.

"Harry are you alright? You seem tense."

"I got a letter from the Weasleys today. Dumbledore tried to expel the lot of them because they didn't know where I'm staying." Harry said solemnly.

"Why would he do that? Does this have to do with your falling out with him?" Anne asked concerned.

"Yes. I'm afraid if I tell you what is going on you'll want me to leave. I'm sorry I didn't tell you to begin with but now I don't know what to do." Harry said regretfully.

"Dumbledore was the main reason we left the magical world. We still deal with them but we don't live there." John said.

"What happened? I'm sorry that isn't my business." Harry said.

"Don't worry about it. Dumbledore black balled me and Anne. You probably know that muggle bornes have an impossible time finding work in the pure-blood world. We applied for work in the finance department at the ministry but couldn't get the jobs without some sort of recommendation. Dumbledore was willing but for a price. He wanted us to spy on the ministry for him and report any money mismanagement. We refused and he ruined us or so he thought." John said.

"We were reluctant to sent John Jr. and Sara to Hogwarts when it was their time because we thought he would try something with them. Fortunately, he didn't try anything I know of." Anne explained.

"That's not completely true mum. We never told you be the old man wanted us to work for him as well. We just never let it get that far." Sara corrected.

"What did that old bastard try with you Sara?" John asked angrily.

"He wanted me to be a spy at ministry parties. He didn't offer me a job per say but I'm sure you can figure out what he wanted me to do. He wanted John to spy on the Department of Mysteries once he got him in, but that isn't what Johnny wanted anyway." Sara explained.

"I can't believe you never told us dear. I'm proud of you for refusing." Anne said comforting.

"Where is your brother?" Harry asked.

"He's at the military academy. He always dreamt of flying jets. He's in training right now. We told you our story, what's your problem with Dumbledore? I know it has to be something big. The books you're reading tells me he wants to use you to fight someone or something." Sara said.

"I'm studying on my own because he won't teach me." Harry said. He took a deep breath to calm himself then continued. "I found out that there is a prophecy that says I'm the only one who can defeat Voldemort. Dumbledore confirmed he isn't dead and will come back someday; I've already faced him twice at Hogwarts. I'm sorry I've put you all in danger because of this; I'll pack my things and leave tomorrow." Harry said regretfully.

The silence was deafening. Anne broke the quiet by saying, "I never expected this but I knew it had to be huge. You aren't going anywhere until its time. Is this why you're studying other cultures and magic?" Anne said.

"Yes, that was sort of an accident but you never know what could be useful; besides I'm curious. The only thing none of us can figure out is why he doesn't want to teach me. The only thing he wants to do is keep me hidden and safe, as he says." Harry replied.

"Maybe he sees you like people see fine china. He only brings you out on special occasions then packs you away until next time. Eventually, he would have told you but by that time it my have been too late. You seem to be handling this well." Tia said.

"I've had a lot of time to get used to this and Aunt Min and Master Filius have helped me a bunch. I wonder if that was part of his plan; he wanted me dependent on him only for everything." Harry said.

"Master Filius? He hasn't taken an apprentice in ages. We definitely have to duel, I want to see you in action." Dora said excitedly.

"Okay. Where and when? I can't do magic outside of school so we have to wait until then." Harry responded.

"Leave that to me lover-boy. I want to see your 'wand work' first hand." Dora teased.

"I hope I don't hurt you. It took five girls to handle me the last time." Harry said proudly.

"I'll just wear that pink bikini you like so much." Dora teased.

"This could get interesting. Enough of this lets finish eating and Harry can teach us the Patronus Charm. I never did learn that one." Tia said changing the subject.

Everyone agreed then talked about more pleasant things. The group went outside and Harry went into lecture mode; Dora already knew the charm so she excused herself to run an errand. Soon everyone was practicing and getting various results. Anne produced a strong shield where everyone else produced a fine mist. They all returned to the living room to relax afterwards, Harry didn't feel like dancing practice tonight. They were all talking when Dora returned. She sat next to Harry on the sofa and with a wide grin said.

"Hey lover-boy, I've got a surprise for you."

"What is it love?" Harry said.

"I talked with Director Bones and she authorized me to deputize you as a junior intern auror for the rest of the summer. Just sign this parchment and you will be exempt from any restrictions while we're together. Just don't abuse the privilege and tell no one." Dora said.

Harry threw his arms around her and hugged her for all his worth. He quickly read and signed the parchment and received a badge showing his new status as junior intern auror. However, Dora whispered in his ear.

"You're mine now lover-boy. I can't wait to show you my handcuffs."

Harry gulped aloud and thought, What did I get myself into?

--

Disclaimer: I own nothing that is Harry Potter.

A/N: Sorry about the slow update. Work got hectic and life got in the way of fun.