Title: Strings of Fate

Author: Knife Hand

Feedback: Constructive feedback appreciated, flames unappreciated

Spoilers: Nothing Specific, general for first few books.

Rating: R

Disclaimer: I do not own Hermione, or Luna, or Ginny, or Cho, or... I would buy them all but I am broke.

Summary: Being raised only by his Aunt, Harry comes to Hogwarts not only knowing about the Wizarding World, but with a kind of training no one at the school is expecting.

Harry held the smile until the door closed behind the reporters and photographers. At least this time he was not the sole focus of the reporters' attention. There were over thirty current and recently graduated students, all those who had been involved in the testing of the new Acne Potion, including several of Harry's friends who had also been involved. It was only a week since school had ended and this was the first opportunity that all the students had been available to get the photo taken and it had been Professor Snape who had fielded all the questions from the press.

Wells, Diva and Dragon were chatting in a small cluster while Indy was talking to a few of the other recently graduated students. Harry made his way over to Professor Snape who was standing by himself over by the wall.

"I appreciate your discretion." Professor Snape said to Harry as he approached. "If anyone had mentioned the Potion was your idea that would have turned into a circus."

"It was the right thing to do." Harry replied, then looked sideways at Snape. "May I ask why the Wolfsbane?"

"It does not seem like me, does it?" Snape said, running a hand through his hair.

"No offense, but no it doesn't." Harry replied.

"None taken." Snape replied. "To tell the truth, originally I never considered anything along those lines."

"So what changed?"

"Your mother, actually." Snape admitted. "She was always so caring and compassionate that she asked me to look into helping Werewolves."

"Did you consider changing when she died?" Harry asked.

"I promised Lily." Snape replied firmly.

Susan, Hermione and Neville had joined Tonks, who was waving Harry over.

"Go join your friends, Potter." Snape said gently.

Harry just nodded and made his way over towards his friends, where Tonks proceeded to hug him into her chest.

"Seriously?" Dudley Evans asked looking at the building in front of them. "How the hell does that not fall down?"

"Magic." Harry said with a shrug.

"Boys. Behave." Petunia said.

"Trust me, Auntie, we could burn half the place down and they would just shrug." Harry said. "They would probably blame the twins."

"No arson Harry." Dudley said, mock seriously. "Eton thinks poorly on pyromania. It's almost as bad as walking on the grass or, god forbid, spitting."

"Let's go." Petunia said, "That little girl has been watching us from the third floor window for the last two minutes."

"Us or Harry?" Dudley asked with a cheesy grin.

Petunia ruefully shook her head and approached the front door with the boys following behind her. Just before they reached the door it was thrown open by a pair of redheaded twins.

"Ambassador, Battering Ram, Misses Evans." The twins said in unison.

"Hey guys." Harry said.

"Oh look, it's the two faces of Janus." Dudley said offhand.

"Oh, that's good." Harry said. 'Janus One and Janus Two."

"Isn't that the Roman two-faced god?" One of the twins asked, getting a nod from all three visitors.

"I like it." The other twin said. "Come on in."

The inside of the house itself was fairly quite. Mrs Weasley was puttering around in the kitchen with a beautiful blond haired witch who moved with aristocratic grace. The twins nodded towards the back of the house as a redheaded girl who looked about Hogwarts age ran down the stairs and out the back door.

"That's our little sister, Ginny." Fred said.

"She's got a bit of a fangirl crush on Ambassador." George added.

Emerging out the back door there was controlled chaos. Mister Weasley and Amelia Bones were sitting by the back door, quickly joined by Petunia. The twin's little sister, Ginny, was running around with a girl with long flowing silver blond hair. Sunset and Diva were standing together watching Daphne facing off against the Twin's little brother Ron. Harry, Dudley and the Twins went over to see what Ron and Daphne were arguing about.

"I am here because your brothers invited me." Daphne said.

"But you're a slimy snake." Ron replied.

"And what has Slytherin ever done to you?" Daphne shot back.

"Two words. Draco Malfoy." Ron said with a slight smile, like he won the argument.

"At least you don't have to dorm with the little bastard." Daphne said dismissively.

"Huh?" Ron said confused.

"Do you honestly think that The Janus' or myself would hang out with someone who was in any way like Malfoy?" Harry asked.

"You finally settle on a nickname for the twins, Ambassador?" Susan asked.

"Actually, it was Battering Ram." Harry replied. "Janus One and Janus Two."

"When am I going to get a nickname?" Daphne asked.

"Whenever someone comes up with a good one." Hannah replied.

"So you don't like Malfoy?" Ron asked confused.

"Hardly." Daphne replied. "It is an unwritten law in Slytherin that we present a united front in the rest of Hogwarts, so when the idiot does something stupid we can't call him on it in public."

Ron looked at Daphne critically for a few moments.

"You're alright, Greengrass." Ron said finally.

"Thank you for that glowing endorsement, Weasley." Daphne deadpanned.

Daphne, Hannah and Susan retreated to one side of the yard and started chatting, while the Twins pulled Ron over to the other side, the elders giving the younger what looked like a lecture, leaving Harry and Dudley standing there shaking their heads. After a moment they noticed that the two younger girls had stopped their play and Ginny had gone over to her brothers while the blond approached Harry and Dudley.

"Hello, Harry Potter. Dudley Evans." She said. "I'm Luna Lovegood."

"Hello Luna." Dudley said. "So how do you know the Weasley's?"

"We live just over the hill. I have been friends with Ginny for years." Luna replied before turning to Harry. "My father and I really liked your interviews. We were afraid you would have an infestation of Nargles like most celebrities, but you appear to be clean."

With that the girl turned around and began chasing something that only she could see. Harry looked at Dudley who simply shrugged as he watched the intriguing girl.

TBC…