Ch: 3 Burrow to the Beginning

17 August 1994

It was tough being back with Ron and Hermione, Harry had decided that a long time ago. After the summer he had, he had passed a LOT of time with adults, every single moment actually, and so he was a lot more mature than he would have been if he was alone and locked away.

Wulfric, especially, was a bout of free air in Harry's life. He treated him like a person, not a glass antique, it was refreshing. It was actually a surprise for Harry every time he talked to Wulfric, that Dumbledore was his father.

Anyway, because of his summer being the best he ever had, he was having troubles being back together with the infinitely more immature Ron and Hermione. They did not have his upbringing which forced him to be sly and careful, nor did they see the reality of the world at the age of four. They were still children, even if Harry wasn't.

So, when Fred and George noticed that and took him away from his only friends, he was more than happy to spend time with them. He learnt how they had basically been ignored slightly after Ron was born and how they lost the hunger for admiration after their first prank when they were scolded by their mother a bit harshly.

People see them as their late uncles, Fred had told him, like Snape saw Harry as James Potter. But they were their own person, of course.

Fabian and Gideon were sneaky but blatantly obnoxious, they were amateur clockmakers who made clocks in their free time. The Weasley Family Clock was an invention of theirs, actually. Their life motto was to be an Auror in the Ministry of Magic though, and they were quite skilled at that.

Fred and George, on the other hand, were cunning, determined and resourceful. They were not Slytherin on the fact that it was not Slytherin enough for them. They were shrewd businessmen and adept at judging a person's character. They blended in well too, when they wanted to, because nobody ever expects them to be able to not stand out.

And it brought Harry closer to them.

Harry had lived as someone who was not able to live his own life until now, even with Remus, Sirius and Wulfric as he trained on their terms, was able to be free. Harry truly understood how Dobby felt with Harry's dirty old sock when Lucius Malfoy freed him.

It was some two hours ago when the Olde Weasels Children entered the Burrow. Bill and Charlie are . . . interesting.

At that time when they entered, Mrs Weasley was shopping for grocery with the supplies at the home stretching low, Ron and Hermione were in Ron's room doing Merlin know what, Fred and George were in their room blowing shit up and Percy was outside as he was in afternoons usually, with Harry this time, flying in the Weasley Quidditch Pitch. Percy was Oliver Wood's dormmate for a reason.

Bill and Charlie had first seen Percy and Harry trying to score in each other's hoop, from the front yard. CHarlie had yelled loudly in his cheerful voice, "OI, SET THE PITCH FOR FOUR! I AM COMING WITH BILL OVER THERE!"

Of course, it was a surprise the elder brothers of Percy were early, they had to come that evening.

Percy had muttered, "Prick" and then smiled widely, he had missed his brothers. Percy flew over to the ground slowly, he was not the best on a broom and corrected his horn-rimmed glasses. He was going to get his eyes corrected near Christmas, he was saving up money for that for ages.

Harry stayed in the air, he did not want to interrupt the family, so he practised his flying till William, Percival and Charles Weasley, commonly known as the Prefect Trio, entered the pitch.

Percy had, obviously, not changed his clothing. he was flying for half an hour now and was getting sweaty (Brooms take magical energy from a person to fly, testing your endurance and stamina. There is a reason all Quidditch Players are fit and Physical Fitness is important in Quidditch).

He looked as towering as ever, though his narrow shoulders ruined the effect. His glasses were still in perfect condition and his curly and light ginger hair was still neat after so long. His curls were reaching his ears, but Percy still kept playing with them, as he did whenever he is excited.

Percy's smile outshined his large amount of freckles. Harry had never seen the Weasley so happy in his entire life. From OWLs to Prefectship, to Fred and George's pranks, to NEWTs, to Head Boy Position had really made him out to be a depressing bossy kind of a person. But his smile was really coming out this summer, he had completed his Cauldron report after all.

Harry observed the eldest Weasley brother. The twenty-four-year-old man with a tight and high ponytail and dragon tooth earings looked one thing: cool. He was the embodiment of fun with his broad and high shoulders and tall, not towering, height. His dark ginger, almost brown hair, were highlighted with black, as if dyed (Harry had lowered a bit to see the others closely, his vision was not the best).

William, Bill, was wearing a faded Quidditch Jersey of Tutshill Tornados and old-fashioned timber-coloured pants, Fred's broom steadily held in his muscled left hand. Though he was smiling, there were some stress lines on his forehead. Bill looked like the perfect combination of Arthur and Molly Weasley.

Bill's small scars and some rune tattoos were visible and he was clearly uncomfortable showing them now, likely afraid of his motherly and, sometimes, smothering mother.

Charles II (named after his great-grandfather), Charlie, was the most laidback of the trio. Charlie was known so much as a Quidditch Captain, it was an often forgotten fact that he was a Prefect, though temporarily because he soon blew up a clearing in the Forbidden Forrest in his second month on the job. Charlie's hair was the shortest and the most uneven, likely from the Dragons.

Charlie's scars were so visible that he must have forgotten that his skin was unblemished once, burns also took over a good percentage of his arms. Charlie was also the shortest of the trio, taking more after his mother, like Ginny and the Twins, than his father, like Ron and Percy. He was stockier and heavily muscled.

Charlie was wearing an old and faded half-sleeved tee-shirt, which was a faded red, it must have been a really vibrant shade before.

Charlie announced, "If what I have heard is true, Bill will be on your team. Man's the worst at Quidditch but really nice flyer."

Bill shrugged but looked curiously at Harry, before realising something and uttering, "We have not met each other properly! I am Bill, Bill Weasley!"

Harry's eyes went wide before nodding to the Eldest Ginger Duo Jr. He responded loudly, the wind was running high, "Harrison Potter. Friends call me Harry!"

Charlie obnoxiously, but warmly, introduced himself to Harry, with a sheepish grin, "Name's Charles the Second, but the name is Charlie."

Percy rolled his eyes, but he was still smiling, he looked at Charlie and told him, "I will be the Keeper, I am not quite so comfortable at high winds as the Quidditch Players." And that was the reason Percy never tried out as the Reserve Keeper. He hated fast.

Percy flew away to the handmade single-hooped goal, Charlie, Bill and Harry looking at him as he did so.

Charlie shrugged and said, "Guess I am the Chaser then." before flying away to his teammate, leaving Bill and Harry on the grassy ground.

Bill sighed and then looked at Harry, he said, "You look a bit like your father, not the exact copy like everyone told you."

And indeed that was true, Harry had now seen the younger images of his father which looked just like his older versions but nothing like Harry.

Harry had always thought about how he looked like his father but then just thought that everyone else must have seen a younger James Potter.

Harry responded evenly, "I look like myself. Son of James and Lily Potter."

Bill nodded before taking Harry into the wonderful world of the strategy of Quidditch plays. Bill was the Prefect and the Head Boy in his Hogwarts days, and then a Cursebreaker with an even mind. He had taught Ron how to play Chess and the Twins how to be sneaky. Bill was the Ravenclaw of the family, like Percy.

And then the game happened.

Bill was simultaneously the best and the worst flyer in history. He was the best flyer and was easily a good Beater and Keeper from what it looked like, but he was worse than Fred at being Keeper, and Fred never even tried to act as if he understood how to catch a Quaffle.

Harry was an awesome Seeker, a fine Chaser, an okay Beater and a playable Keeper if what Oliver Wood said was true. Oliver had said that Harry was made for Quidditch and Wood will damn whosoever tries to steal it from Harry.

Percy was the Keeper, just a bit worse than Oliver, but his flying was too predictable and his thin frame was struggling with the winds.

Charlie was a really good Chaser, he was the Star Seeker of Gryffindor once, after all. He swerved out of the air from nowhere and was taking full advantage of his stocky build and less than tall height. Being as tall as Harry, it was a pretty damn well strategy.

But, because Charlie had never seen Harry play, he was in for a surprise. There was only one reason that Harry lost to Cedric Diggory in Quidditch: Dementors, those soul-sucking monsters. Harry was the literal God of Quidditch.

Anyway, Harry blasted everything in his way and won the game, and the first star rose to see Percy, Bill and Charlie laughing together in the backyard of the Burrow, while Harry, Fred, George, Ginny and Ron made patterns out of the pebbles on the ground as Hermione read Percy's old notes on Potions. Everyone entered the Burrow again when Molly Weasley forced them to after Mr Weasley came back from work at eight, after his usual overtime workings to earn extra money.

And then, everyone went to sleep early after a huge dinner by Mrs Weasley.

18 August 1994

As Harry woke that day, there was some tinging in his scar, which was never a good thing, but it was so faint that Harry had to concentrate on the feeling to know that it was his scar. Whatever Peeves and Dobby had done, it had minimised the influence of his scar.

Harry got up and looked over at Ron before rolling his eyes, they had to get up early today and Ron was still snoring away.

Harry left Ron's room, there was no way that Ron could be woken up by anyone else other than Hermione or Molly Weasley, and went down the stairs to the kitchen where he ate breakfast with Hermione, Mrs and Mr Weasley, Bill, Percy and Charlie.

Hermione told him that Ginny was in the loo when she was coming downstairs and Charlie told Harry that Fred and George always mysteriously arrive on time for everything so there was no need to disturb them.

Harry told the Weasley Matriarch, "Mrs Weasley, Ron's still sleeping."

Mrs Weasley smiled at Harry and then rolled her eyes goodnaturedly before saying, "Don't worry Harry dear, we will wake Ron up ten minutes later, he must have been tired because of getting some things from the muggle store nearby."

Harry nodded, not knowing that Ron was even gone and not knowing anything else to do, and went back to talk with Charlie about his experiences with dragons.

When Harry asked about his favourite dragon, Charlie took on a look that matched Hagrid with its excitement and he exclaimed in his deep voice and almost unnoticeable Romanian accent, "Definitely Hungarian Horntail, do you know how rare that one is? Our reserve has the largest amount of them outside of Hungary and Austria!"

"Hungarian Horntails have a dangerously low lifespan (for a dragon, of course) of 200 years and they have horned wings and tail. They are one of the most protective, peaceful and dangerous species, and are hunted for their hide and horns. You would not be able to find a wild Horntail unless you are in Hungary, you know, they are that endangered. Their fires are almost as hot as Fiendfyre and they are as tall as 50 feet (or about 15 metres). And-"

An annoyed voice interrupted, "We get it, Charlie."

It was Bill, who looked like he had heard this speech a million times in a second every day of the year for a decade. Charlie grinned sheepishly and then said softly, "I know, but it is just that they are so cool!"

Bill was the most rugged and masculine looking brothers of the Weasley Children, with (surprisingly) Percy coming the closest. His man bun was tied atop his head and there was some stray hair escaping it and reaching his long stubble. A couple of stress lines made him look a couple of years older than his actual age, 23.

Bill rubbed a tattoo of Wunjo rune on his right wrist and said, "It is not that I don't want to hear about the dragons, it is that I don't want to know that you work with dragons. They are nice and all, but they are dangerous."

Charlie rolled his eyes affectionately at his brother and said, "I know, Bill, and that is why I have the best Defense and Healing spells I can have in my repertoire, and that is why I make the best damn potions I can."

Harry suddenly looked at Charlie in awe, he said, "You can make good potions?!"

Charlie smirked and said, "Of course, got Dumbledore to throw Snape off my back for that in my second year. I took my OWL for it in my third year, just to piss off Snape."

Hermione, who was talking to Percy about Arthimancy, looked sharply at Charlie and asked sharply, "You took your Potions' OWL in your third year?!"

Charlie grinned proudly and said, "And got an 'Outstanding' too! I wanted to be a Healer then, you see, and then I met Hagrid and then, dragons entered my life."

Percy muttered loudly, "I took History of Magic and Muggle Studies OWL early too, the twelve subjects were seriously stressing me out."

Coincidentally, Fred and George entered the room and sat beside Percy at the same time as he finished his words, they grinned at each other and Fred said, "Never thought Percy would deny studying."

Percy retorted with "My dormmate was Oliver Wood!" and suddenly, nobody was making a joke of him. Everyone knew that Oliver Wood only studied because Quidditch needed at least 5 OWLs with Outstanding or 3 NEWTs with Exceeds Expectations.

It was no surprise that Oliver and Ron got along like wood on fire.

And soon, half an hour later, Hermione, Charlie, Bill, Fred, George, Percy, Harry, Ron and Mr Weasley made their way to the Portkey that will take them to the Quidditch Match, with Mrs Weasley left behind at the Burrow.

Technically, Bill, Percy and Charlie could have waited until noon to come but Bill and Charlie wanted to spend more time with their family members as they didn't see much of them (excluding Mrs Weasley, she had somehow gotten a pass to meet her children. When Harry had asked how, Bill had answered that his mum is scarier than any Goblin or Dragon in history).

Percy, on the other hand, had work to do at the site. His boss, Barty Crouch Sr, was working to maintain international cooperation between nations and Percy was to work with Aurors to ensure peace and safety. Great Britain had to make a good impression after all.
_

Harry looked back and saw that he had involuntarily passed everyone and was miles ahead of everyone else. Bill was the closest to Harry's spot and Charlie was not too far behind, everyone else was out of Harry's sight.

Harry shrugged his shoulders and sat down on the huge rock on top of the steep hill, that the Portkey was on. Harry had left everyone in the dust as he had climbed, since most wizards and witches never did much physical activity.

Two figures reached the top minutes after Harry and he saw Bill and Charlie pant slightly, both a little out of breath, before sitting beside Harry.

Harry took in a deep breath as he watched a couple of shadows reach the top as well, confused as to how others got up so quick.

He was proven wrong as an elderly man with a permanently tired look and a bit of belly, appeared in his sight. He had greyish black hair, though they were a dark brown at their roots, and had proud brown eyes, some hairs in his short stubble shining in the sunrise.

Behind that man though, there was a person that Harry recognised.

Harry exclaimed, "Cedric!"

Cedric Diggory, the tall handsome and boyish young man who was the Seeker and Captain on Hufflepuff Quidditch Team, stood out the most. He looked a lot different from the previous year (Harry realised that he had reached magical maturity and got magical adulthood) with his dark brown hair was reaching the tip of his shoulders.

Cedric's dark brown eyes seemed more of a cedar brown than a chocolate brown, and he finally seemed to have gained a bit of facial hair which was proudly displayed. His face no longer as boyish as it was and seemed more aristocratic than anything else. His rather imposing height also supported that fact.

Harry thought that Cedric looked like a Hufflepuff Sirius a lot.

Cedric grinned tiredly (Nobody liked to wake early) and said, "Hey Harry" and then turned to the Weasleys before greeting them, "Charlie, Bill, long time no see."

Bill smiled warmly and said, "Master Rockbones is a bit of a workaholic, you see. I never even got time to meet anybody other than mum after school."

Cedric rolled his eyes before looking at Harry and introducing the elderly man beside him, "Harry, this is my father, Amos Diggory. He works at the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures in the Ministry. He-"

Mr Diggory interrupted his son and said, "I make sure that all the wild animals stay safe and healthy while also ensuring that they don't attack anybody. I also ensure that Dementors are not rioting."

Harry nodded slowly, making sure to mark Mr Diggory as Percy's role model growing up.

As if hearing Harry's thoughts of Percy's haughty behaviour, Fred and George in all of their panting and tired glory, made their way to their brothers.

Ron, Ginny, Percy, Hermione and Mr Weasley reached the top as well, Mr Weasley looking the most tired of them all. He announced, "Nice to meet you outside of Ministry, Amos. And you should come to the Burrow again, Cedric."

Cedric grinned charmingly while Mr Diggory just rolled his eye, the father held up an ancient shoe that must have been a metre long, and held it out for everyone. He explained, "This is our Portkey. The Ministry used useless things as Portkeys, which Muggles ignore, so as to make sure that there is no way they can break the Statute of Secrecy."
_

Harry landed terribly but on his feet. As he was swaying around, he was lucky that Bill caught him. Harry looked around to see Fred, George, Ginny, Ron and Hermione on the ground, with Charlie and Cedric looking a bit dazed, and Percy looking green in the face.

Mr Weasley and Mr Diggory looked at everyone as if their entire life's dream was proven true, though the smirks had disappeared as soon as the Twins slapped themselves for unknown reasons.

They muttered at the same time, "I needed that" and then stood up, still looking a bit pale.

Hermione groaned, "I hate magical means to transport!"

AN: Hogwarts Mystery Game does not affect this story, it is confusing. And I am making some stuff up for details.