Awakened 4

As the summer weeks trailed on Harry spent his time alternating between spending hours flying and getting to know his family. Slowly though, the flying began to vastly out way his family. He'd found that flying was one of the perfect ways to forget things and Harry had a lot to forget. His whole now had to start again at 16 and to top it all his parents were in fact not dead at all.

The only thing Harry found easy to accept and get used to was having Megan as a sister. They grew close very quickly and Harry found that he had become extremely protective of her.

Sirius was quickly becoming an annoyance. He didn't have to look at Harry as James' replacement in his life and so kept Harry in the dark about a lot of things. Whenever his parents and Sirius were discussing the latest development about Voldemort and Harry wandered over to join them Sirius either deftly changed the subject or pushed Harry away saying,

"Nothing for you to worry about sport."

This had quickly begun to piss Harry off in the extreme. But, he decided that if Sirius wanted to act like that it was his own problem. He'd learn in time that Harry had a part to play.

One morning, Harry woke up at about 5am to sunlight streaming through his window. Groaning he levered himself up and fell out of bed. Grumbling about the maturity of his bed his got up and decided that he might as well stay up. A while later and he was sitting at the kitchen table in the warm summer sunshine eating breakfast. Just then he saw something flash by the window. Getting up he walked swiftly over to the large French doors and looked out. Up in the air he spotted a lone flying swooping around. He watched in fascination as Megan flew around the quidditch pitch. But his fascination quickly turned to pain as she got out a quaffle and started to practise shooting, badly.

After watching for about 5 minutes Harry decided that something had to be done about his sister's appalling shooting abilities. Now he could see why Ron had told her she needed to practise. Grabbing his broom from his room he flung the window open and slowly flew out to join Megan down on the pitch.

"Heya sis. Thought you could use some help."

Megan looked over at him in relief.

"Thank you so much! I need all the help I can get. But, can you play as a chaser?"

"Sure. Although I still prefer being a seeker."

Megan grinned at him and tossed the quaffle over.

"Right, now the best way to start…." And so began the morning training sessions of quidditch. Megan slowly began to improve and Harry was surprised to see his own skills as a chaser and consequently a keeper, improve as well.

About 2 weeks into the holiday Harry was lying on his bed reading through his 6th year spell book when Megan came running into his room.

"Harry, you know you love me and would do anything to help me out."

He grinned.

"I suppose, what do you want?"

She sighed with relief.

"Would you come with me to the Burrow to see Ginny? She say's she's going insane being in a house with 6 brothers. Do you think mum and dad would let her come and stay here for a bit?"

"Course they will. Come on, let's go save Gin from the house of the Weasley's."

10 minutes later they were standing at the door of the Burrow waiting to be let in. Harry was extremely nervous. Partly because of his last meeting with Ron and partly because these were people that he'd grown to know and love and his own family.

Mrs Weasley opened the door to let them in.

"Megan! It's lovely to see you; Ginny said you might be stopping by."

"It's great to see you too Molly. This is my brother Harry." Molly gasped as she noticed Harry trying to hide behind his sister.

"Oh, it's like a miracle. It's wonderful to finally meet you Harry." Wiping away the tear that was threatening to fall she pulled him into a motherly hug. As she did she whispered softly into his ear.

"Don't worry, your parents told us about the spell Dumbledore cast. I know this will be strange but we'll all help."

Harry felt a huge amount of relief at her words. Although apparently Ron had missed out on his parents words as all of the rest of the Weasley clan took it as read that he knew them and it didn't phase them one inch.

As they walked through the front door, Ginny swooped down on them.

"Thank you so much! I was going crazy here on my own." Megan grinned.

"Don't worry about it. How would you like to spend the rest of the summer with me and Harry at home?"

"Like it? I'd love it!"

With that settled in a remarkably short space of time, the three of them set about packing Ginny's things. Harry was relegated to packing her school things into a dark wood truck whilst the girls sorted everything else. When they were almost done Ron barged into the room.

"Ginny, have you seen…what's going on?"

"Oh, hey Ron. I'm going to Megan's for the rest of the holiday."

"That doesn't explain why he's in your room." He said, glaring at Harry who was sitting on Ginny's bed.

"He came with Megan and he helped to pack my stuff. Now would you get out, you're in the way."

Harry stood up and heaving the trunk onto his shoulders said,

"I'll take this down while you finish up."

"Thanks Harry." Ginny said smiling at him.

As Harry walked down the stairs Ron followed close behind him. As soon as he'd reached the hall he was shoved from behind and fell to floor with the trunk narrowly missing his head. Ron towered over him.

"Stay away from my sister, creep. She can do better than the likes of you."

"Don't you have anything better to do little brother?" a voice said from behind them. Ron looked up in surprise. Charlie walked over and helped Harry up.

"Go away Ronnikins. Dad wants help de-gnoming the garden." Glaring back at an equally pissed off Charlie he stomped off towards the garden.

"Sorry about that mate. He's afraid you'll damage his relationship."

"With Ginny?"

"No, his girlfriend Hermione." Harry almost laughed.

"Ron and Hermione? How long have they been together?"

"About a year I'd say."

Laughing they wandered into the kitchen to wait for Megan and Ginny.

"So why does he think I'll damage his relationship with Hermione?"

"Well, Ron took so damn long to actually ask the girl out he's now extremely worried about anyone who could break it up. Any other male for instance, which as you fit into that category, plus with the added fact that Hermione, Ginny and Megan and fairly close friends it scares him."

"Plus," Ginny said from the doorway, "He just doesn't like you. Mainly for what you said when you first met him. Not many non-family members talk to him like that."

"Yeah, well nobody upsets by sister without having to deal with me."

"You know, I think I was better off without an overprotective older brother. Don't you think Gin?"

"Oh I don't know. There might be some advantages to having him around." Harry blushed as she looked over to him.

"Gin, are you going to leave me to carry all this to the fireplace?"

She sighed and the two of them walked back into the hall to carry Ginny's cases towards the fire. It took a fair amount of effort but finally all the cases and all three people were back in the pub along the road from the Potter mansion. Dragging the cases along the floor, they made their way back to the house. As they walked through the door a houself appeared by their side.

"Cully, could you get these things up to my room? I don't think we can carry them."

"Of course Miss. Cully will be doing this straight away!" She bobbed a mini bow towards Harry and disappeared with the cases and trunks. Megan darted away into the house.

"I'll go and check that it's ok with Mum and Dad. Harry, can you show Ginny upstairs?"

"Sure." Turning to Ginny he asked,

"Do you wan to go the boring way or the fun way?" Ginny looked up at him with apprehension but finally said,

"The fun way."

"Come one then." Harry led the way outside to the broom shed. Well, what Harry called a shed would be called a huge building by most other people. They went in and walked along the rows of brooms on the wall. James had kept all of his brooms since he was a child. He had owned almost 30 brooms during his life and Lily had 5 of her own. Harry's and Megan's brooms were at the end of the room. He got his Silverfire down and walked back out with Ginny following him in confusion.

"Harry, how is a broom going to help."

"Just get on Gin." She climbed onto the broom behind Harry and they rose quickly into the air. After showing off a little to Ginny he flew up to his bedroom window and slowly manoeuvred his way in. Ginny almost fell off the broom when they landed on the floor. She sat shaking on his bed.

"Hey, what's wrong?"

"I, I've never been on a broom before."

"But, didn't you have flying lesson's in your first year?"

"Well, they were on, but for some reason I was always in the hospital wing."

Harry grinned.

"Mysteriously falling ill an hour before the lesson?"

"Something like that yeah." He laughed and hugged her.

So the next few weeks was spent as a family of five rather than a family of four and gradually Harry and Ginny got to know each other a lot. Well, Ginny got to know Harry a lot; Harry got to know her better than he already did. It was still taking a huge amount of effort to get used to people not knowing him and even not being the 'boy who lived' but he was slowly getting through it.

Ginny had started to get up with Harry and Megan to watch their practise sessions. She was amazed at the improvement in Megan from the last year. But then, who wouldn't improve with Harry for a teacher. He was a brilliant coach and helped Megan with everything. Ginny had toyed with the idea of asking him to teach her but dismissed it on the grounds of why would he waste his time? He taught Megan but they were family. She was just a friend. But after every practise session, Harry always swooped down to land by Ginny and took her up into the air for a ride. Sometimes they stayed up for hours at a time, just floating in the air watching time go by.

As the days trailed on Harry realised one morning that in two days he would be 16. The thought unsettled him for some reason by he didn't have time to dwell on it as Ginny knocked on his door.

"Harry, are you busy?"

"No, come in Gin."

She opened the door and walked in.

"What's up?"

"Well, I want to go to Diagon Alley to get some stuff for school, but I don't want to go on my own. I wondered if you'd want to come."

"Course I will. Just let me find my trainers." Within minutes they were walking down to the pub and into Diagon Alley. They spent hours just wandering around the shops, Ginny brought a few small items but nothing was of real importance. Harry began to wonder why she had really wanted to come but decided to just enjoy her company.

Ginny walked next to Harry and tried to make a decision about his birthday present. He hadn't shown a real interest in anything that she could get. At least nothing that would be at least a small bit personal. They strolled into the bookshop and Harry meandered into the Dark arts section. He noticed a very small section labelled 'Animagus', by small it comprised of two books. The first was on how to recognise Animagus' from normal animals but the second was a detailed account of how to become one. Then he saw why there were so few. The level of power needed was enormous. Most people just simply didn't have the magical capacity to manage it. He put the book back on the shelf, not much point buying it, he thought. I wouldn't have the power to pull it off. It was one of those moments that people have when they irrationally doubt their own abilities. His father had managed to become an Animagus and although Harry knew he was more powerful than James he still doubted it in himself.

He turned and walked out of the shop without a backward glance. Ginny however did not. She had been silently watching Harry and darted over to where he had been standing.

'Ah,' she thought to herself. 'So that's what he was so interested in.' she took the book to the counter and paid for it before running out to rejoin Harry in the sunshine.

"You got what you wanted Gin?"

"Yeah, I think that's about it."

"Then let's go home, my feet are killing me."

The next day Harry looked all over the house trying to find Megan. Not for any particular reason just that he had missed her company over the past few days. But she was no where to be found. But this was because Harry only searched the 1st three floors of the house and the grounds. He didn't think to look on the floor with his and Megan's rooms at all. This is where she had spent all day. She was sitting in the perfect room trying to make Harry's birthday present. She had some idea of what Harry would have to face before too long and she wanted to make something accordingly. Having already found the spells she would need she had now run into a problem. She couldn't use magic outside of school. Quickly, Megan ran downstairs to find her mother.

"Mum, can you help me make Harry's birthday present?"

"Of course honey. What did you have in mind?"

Megan took her hand and led to the room. Spread out on the floor were various designs for a bracelet. The final one that she had decided on was a seamless band, made of sky blue leather. Lily smiled at the leaf design that grew out around it. Megan was always one for the outdoors.

"I take it you would like me to make this for you?"

"Please, I wanted something that was personal, so at least it's going to have be thought of and designed by me. But there's one last spell that I found that I want you to add at the end.

"Well, give me a moment." Lily took a piece of knotted string in her hand and studying the design for the bracelet murmured the charm that Megan had found. Slowly, the string began to glow, surrounded by a blue light and with a flash it was a very expensive looking blue leather band. Megan squealed with delight.

"Now, what was the last part?"

"Well, sometimes I've seen him and I think it's when he's remembering what he thought was his life. He looks so sad and depressed that I wanted to do something to help. So I found this and it means that if when he's wearing it he starts to become upset or sad for any reason words kind of light up with this bright white light."

Lily looked at her daughter in surprise at the idea.

"That sounds perfect. What words do you want on it?"

"Courage dear one."

Her mother covered a smile at Megan's desire to help Harry.

"It sounds just the thing."

When Lily left 5 minutes later Megan looked with pride at the finishes present. True, her mother done the magical part but Megan knew that in school; using her own magic she could have done just as well. Plus the fact that would have been private between her and Harry. Although she had got the distinct impression from her mother that Lily though Harry was perfectly happy and would never face any hardships.

The next morning, Harry woke and realised with a jolt that he was a whole other year older. The though made him inexplicably happy and he bounced out of bed, downstairs and into the pool. He'd discovered the pool to his delight the week before. Now, at 6 in the morning with the sun already warming the water he dove in and spent the next hour being peaceful and happy. Just floating. He was sunbathing by the side of the pool when Megan came to find him. All he knew was that a shadow must had travelled over the sun and then his completely dry body got soaked again and she pushed him in. He came up spluttering to see Megan in hysterics on the side.

"Come on Harry. It's present time." Hearing this, Harry shot out of the pool and up to his room. He was dried and dressed in less than 3 minutes. Sitting in the very spacious living room was her parents, Megan, Ginny, Sirius and Remus, and in the middle was a very large pile of presents.

The first one he opened was from James and Lily. He tore off the wrapping paper to find a fairly large bird cage. James grinned as he saw the look of slight confusion on his son's face. He walked to the open window and whistled. Silently a small tawny owl flew in through the window and landed gently on James' arm. He brought her across the room and as he leant next to Harry the owl hopped onto Harry's shoulder. He reached up his hand to stroke the soft feathers and she playfully butted her head against him. He grinned at his parents.

"She's perfect. Thank you."

"What will you name her?" Lily asked.

"I think, Atlantia. It fit's somehow."

The next present was a new broom repair kit from Sirius.

"I figured it would go well with your broom."

Albus Dumbledore had sent him a crystal figure of a wolf with a note that said, 'for the future.' Remus gave him a large trunk that was full of books. As Harry poured over it he saw books from Muggle authors and well as Wizard history and mythology books.

"Thanks Remus!" Harry said enthusiastically. He'd grown to love books, spending a lot of time in the library but this would also make his room at least start to look lived in. Megan handed him her present. It was a small black leather box. He opened it to find the blue leather bracelet that she had designed. It had a flowing leaf design almost the whole way around the band and looked very good. He slipped it onto his wrist and it immediately shrank to fit his arm without falling off.

"Thanks Meg, it looks great." Megan smiled to herself feeling proud that he liked it. But inside she hoped that he would never see the added part of the gift.

The last present was from James.

"My father gave this to me when I was 16 so now it's your turn." He handed Harry and familiar light package. He gently took the paper off it and drew out the invisibility cloak.

AN: Review notes once again.

Jarno: If you'd paid attention to the books you'd know that the wand the Ollivander first gives to Harry is the one he had in the books. As he no longer need a wand that is the twin of Voldemort's I changed it. Plus, who says his wand need's to be impressive? His first wand wasn't particularly strong; it's the strength of the wizard that counts. Finally, the wand he ends up with is one of the wands the Ollivander tries in the books. Thanks for your review, but I prefer decent criticism rather than random crap.

Avius: Hopefully explained why Ron is crabby. Thanks as ever babe, love ya!