Title: Legacy of the Father (6/?)

Spoilers: First four books; contains some elements introduced in the 5th book, but is set during Harry's 5th year.

Disclaimer: This story is based on characters and situations created and owned by JK Rowling, various publishers including but not limited to Bloomsbury Books, Scholastic Books and Raincoast Books, and Warner Bros., Inc. No money is being made and no copyright or trademark infringement is intended.

Chapter Six - Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes and Harry's Card

The time until September 1st seemed to fly by at the Weasley house. Everyone wanted Harry to do something with them. Ron and his brothers were always asking to play Quidditch matches, Hermione provided plenty of study time, and Mr. Weasley spent many hours interrogating Harry about the Muggle world. It was hard for Harry to find any time to himself. As he packed all his things back into his trunk, he took a moment to look over Sirius's letter. Harry couldn't wait to get back to Hogwarts, now more than ever before. There were so many secrets waiting for him there, secrets about the family he never knew.

"Harry, ready to go?"

"Yeah. Just need to pack up a few more things."

"Okay, Arthur's already loading the car."

"Did the Ministry send a car again?"

"No, Amos Diggory has lent us a car for the day. Very kind man. Ron, ready?"

Harry felt another twinge of guilt at the mention of the Diggorys.

"Dad already has my trunk, but I'll help Harry with his."

"Well, we need to hurry."

Harry was hurrying. Not even Hermione was more excited to be going back to Hogwarts than Harry was. Harry found himself too excited to sit still during the car ride to King's Cross Station, but Ron didn't seem to notice. Harry wasn't really in the mood to draw it to his attention.

It was the same situation inside King's Cross as Harry had seen the previous four years. Fred and George were behind them this time, so Ron and Harry went through the barrier that led to Platform 9 3/4, followed by Ginny and Hermione, deep in conversation.

"Well, I'll help you study, if you like."

"Thanks, Hermione. Snape is about to make a potion of me. All because I'm a Weasley."

"It's okay, Ginny. He hates anyone who isn't a Slytherin."

"Speak of the demons," Hermione whispered as they boarded. Farther down the Hogwarts Express, Malfoy, Crabbe, and Goyle were boarding as well.

"But they can't sit in the prefects' cabin. Only prefects and their guests can do that."

"Are you sure that Snape didn't make one of them a prefect?"

"You have to have good grades to be a prefect. They don't qualify."

"Neither do Harry and I."

"Sure you do. I've seen your grades and I know about theirs."

"You do?" Ron looked at Hermione skeptically.

"How?" Harry asked excitedly.

"You always said I was the teachers' pet."

"What about Snape? He hates you almost as much as he hates me and Harry."

"Well, I didn't say being teachers' pet was my only source of information."

"That's Hermione for you. Her fiery trident's in the bag."

Hermione shot a look at Ron but was interrupted by Ginny.

"Hermione, I'm going to go to the back, to sit with some of the girls from my class."

"Okay. See you later."

Ginny closed the door on the compartment just as the train started off. It was only a few moments until it reopened.

"Well, well, well. The Mudblood made prefect. Couldn't find a pure blooded wizard to be prefect for Gryffindor?"

"Eat slug slime, Malfoy. Now leave."

"Oh, Potter, I hear you were escorted to the station. Afraid?"

"Not in the least. I just wonder what, or who, you think I should be scared of?"

"Voldemort is alive. You know that."

"Is that all I should be afraid of? A half-human broken down former wizard? I've beaten him five times now, and I believe that any fear of him has vanished. I am not afraid of Voldemort."

"You should be. He's going to kill you and all the Mudbloods in Hogwarts. I hope he finds you first, though, Granger. I hope I get to watch."

"He'll never get the chance."

"You can't beat him, Potter. He's too strong."

"So strong that he couldn't kill me when I was only a year old and he was at the height of his power. That sounds so terribly strong. Now leave."

"You heard him, Malfoy. Go."

Fred and George were standing right behind Malfoy's gang, wands drawn and grinning broadly. As Malfoy turned to challenge them, Harry, Ron, and Hermione all reached for their wands.

"I believe you remember the last time that the five of us all used different curses. What a show! What an encore?" goaded George.

"Come on, Malfoy. I've learned a great deal many more ways to make that screwed up face look worse," Harry taunted.

Malfoy, stubborn but not completely foolish, started to walk towards the next car.

"I'll leave the pleasure to the Dark Lord. I'd watch my back if I were you. Half-bloods, Mudbloods, and Muggle-lovers always come first."

Harry made to respond, but Hermione pulled him into the compartment before he had the chance. Fred and George followed them inside.

"Pity, really. Fred and I were totally ready to test the Demon Delights, one of many products debuting in the introductory collection for Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes. I would gladly have given each of those gits a free one, just to see someone besides Fred or me under its spell."

"What do Demon Delights do anyway?"

"Glad you asked, little brother. A Demon Delight make the person who ate it grow demon horns and a demon tail that last for a couple of days. We made them especially for those who want to show a person's true nature to the world. And we have the only known antidote. Took a bit to figure it out, but we know it works."

"What else is in the debut collection?"

"Look and spread the word. Canary Creams, Ton-Tongue Toffees, and the Skiving Snackbox, containing Puking Pastilles, Nosebleed Nougat, Fever Fudge, and Fainting Fancy. Just right for getting out of boring or useless classes. Here's a few order forms, if you want. Anyway, we'll leave a few of the Demon Delights here with you for later use. And try to warn us if you're going to use those. We want to watch! Cheers!"

Harry was impressed. All summer, the Weasley family, it seemed, had been constantly around and about, yet Fred and George had had enough time in isolation to invent some more jokes and tricks. Harry looked over the Delights with a certain fascination. They looked like ordinary peppermint humbugs, and, if he had not known that the Weasley twins had made them, he may have thought that they truly were the benign little candies.

Harry and Ron quickly stashed their newest little gems in the war against Malfoy in their bags. Soon after, the compartment door was opened by the trolley witch. Hermione bought nothing, but Harry and Ron were eager to order. Between them, they ordered several handfuls of Chocolate Frogs and a few boxes of Bertie Botts Every Flavor Beans.

"Hey, Ron, I thought that your mother told you to save your money for later in the year."

"Fred and George gave me some money so that I could get some here and some in Hogsmeade."

"Easy, Hermione, let Ron enjoy it."

Ron smiled his approval at Harry, being unable to speak through his Chocolate Frog.

"What card did you get, Ron?"

Ron swallowed the Frog and picked up the card.

"Whoa! Harry, Hermione, look!"

"What is it?"

"Harry, you should look at this. This card is you."

True to Hermione's words, the card was Harry's own, and the picture was from the Triwizard Tournament.

"Listen to this.

'Harry Potter

5th year student at Hogwarts

Harry is noted for his victory over

He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. He enjoys Quidditch and is

currently playing as Seeker for Gryffindor House at

Hogwarts. The youngest Champion ever, he recently tied

for first place in the Triwizard Tournament with fellow

Hogwarts Champion, the late Cedric Diggory.'"

Cedric again. Was there any end to this guilty feeling? At least, Harry thought, the feeling is not as sharp a pain as it was a few months ago.

"Harry, they seem to include a good deal of information about you."

"Lots of people at Hogwarts know that I like playing Quidditch, that I've evaded Voldemort on a few occasions, and that I play Seeker for Gryffindor. The results of the Triwizard Tournament are known to over a hundred spectators who were at the Third Task, plus the people they told. Anyone who did a little research could find all this out."

"Oh, Harry, what if they know more than they put on this card?"

"Being a little melodramatic, aren't we? I mean, there's plenty of protection, especially now."

"Yes, and look at how well that protection has been at protecting you over the past four years. Since you've come to Hogwarts, you've nearly been killed every year. Last year it was Cedric who died. This year it could be you. Do you ever wonder what would happen if the extraordinary luck that has saved your life so many times before were to run out?"

"There has been more than luck, Hermione."

"Yeah, very concerned people vigilantly trying to keep a watch over you. But, Harry, no one can watch over you every second. That's all it would take for Voldemort to kill you. Just time enough to say those two deadly words."

"He's relying a good deal on luck, too, Hermione. After all, he has to get through all the safeguards everyone has put up around Hogwarts and Harry, then battle with Harry himself."

"Voldemort's been able to do both lately, Ron. Take the Triwizard Tournament as an example. Almost everything that could have gone wrong did, and Cedric died. It was by a vindictiveness within Voldemort that kept Harry from being killed just as quickly and easily."

"But Harry battled him and escaped."

"By luck alone. Priori Incantatem, eh, Harry? Lucky thing, wasn't it?"

"Let's just leave this whole issue until we get to Hogwarts. Want to play some chess, Ron?"

"Change into your robes first," Hermione grumbled, clearly not pleased.

Harry and Ron walked down to the only empty prefect compartment and changed clothes, then returned to find Hermione already changed and studying quietly by the window. Already the scenery was changing, and Harry knew they were already about halfway to Hogwarts. He settled into his seat across from Hermione and began to play wizarding chess and Exploding Snaps with Ron.