Disclaimer: These characters do not belong to me. All characters except Amy and Bob and the girls belong to J.K. Rowling.
It's not everyday that a person meets their biological parents and learns about a magical world they never knew existed. Additionally, learning that your father is considered to be one of the most powerful wizards alive, and your mother is quite powerful herself, is quite a shock. I should know, I was in that situation myself. I should start from the beginning, when it all started. I was fourteen and raised a muggle. When I was one and a half years old my father and mother left me with a babysitter, and never came back at the end of the night to get me. I went into foster care after that. The social worker that looked over my case said that my parent's names were Harry and Ginny Potter. She also stated that my parents were aurors. I didn't know what an aurors were, but I didn't ask, because I thought I would look dumb.
I went from foster home to foster home for the first few years of my life. I was alone, and I also felt like I didn't belong anywhere in the world. Sure all the families were nice to me, but I always felt out of place. I was a boy with messy red hair, hazel eyes, a small nose, and I had glasses.
In the summer that I turned fourteen, everything changed. I just started attending high school with my three best friends-Michael, Justin and Tommy. Three friends following the typical fourteen year old boy dream-going to high school to meet hot chicks, doing well enough to go to college, where eventually we would meet more hot girls. But I digress; I was placed with a wonderful family around that time. My foster parents were Amy and Bob. I, Ron lived with three other foster children. They were girls- Kelly who was sixteen, Amanda who was eight, and Lauren who was four. We all became very close, especially Kelly and I. We were the two closest in age, and had the same background. I finally felt like I belonged somewhere. The night before my life changed, Bob and Amy asked if they could adopt me. I was thrilled. I would finally have parents. My life was really looking up.
The next day I was walking home from school with my friends, and I saw a strange black car in my soon to be parents drive-way. I walked into the kitchen and heard Bob and Amy speaking to a man and women in the dining room. I walked into there. The couple's backs were to me. I could see that man had black unruly hair. The hair was as unruly as mine. The women had long red hair, as red as mine. It took me a total of two seconds to figure out who they were.
Bob and Ann looked up at me. "Hi, honey," Ann said to me with a weird look on her face.
The man and women I now realized were my parents turned around and looked at me. My first thought was "Wow, I look like them." My father had green eyes, a scar on his forehead and slightly bigger lips and bigger black glasses than me. When he saw me he smiled, a true smile that lightened up his entire face. My mother had brown eyes, and freckles. Her eyes started to tear up when she looked at me. Before they could speak, Bob spoke.
"Ron, these are your parents. This is your father Harry, and mother Ginny," he said almost painfully.
"Hi, Ron," Harry said softly. He then looked me over. It was almost like he was afraid that his eyes were deceiving him.
My mother now had tears coming down her face. "Oh, my baby," she cried.
This was the most awkward moment in my life. I had many thoughts running through my mind. Part of me wanted to shout at them, and ask them where the hell they had been, and the other part was beyond belief happy, but I was too shocked to really say anything. Then they did something completely unexpected. They got up and hugged me. When my mother first came near me, I realized she was only an inch or two taller than me, while my father was at least three or four inches taller than I was. When they hugged me, it felt like they were holding onto me for dear life. I tried to reciprocate the hug, but it was all too much. When I pulled away my mother was sobbing, and I saw that my father had tears in his green eyes.
"What?" was all I could manage to say.
"Honey, your parents lost their memory when you were a year and a half, but they recently got it back about three months ago. Since then they have been looking for you," Ann said with a pained smile.
"Mr. and Mrs. Potter have signed forms to get you back. You will be moving with them in two weeks time," Bob stated angrily.
"Why?" I asked finally finding my voice again.
Harry looked at his wife (my mother I realized with a jolt) and then looked at me. "We lost our memory in an accident, and couldn't remember who we were. All we knew is that we were familiar to each other. We got married for the second time unbeknownst to us, and carried on with our lives (he looked down at the table as though he was ashamed about this) but we always felt like there was a piece of our lives missing. This feeling never left us. Then about three months ago we were both doing something at work, and we both had another accident. The memories came rushing back, and since then we have been searching for you- which leads us to you here," he said looking at me now.
"Oh," was all I managed to say. I looked at Harry who was looking hopeful, and then at Ginny who looked like all of her wishes had come true. I finally looked at Bob and Amy who looked upset. Then I realized an important fact-I was going to be adopted!
"Wait," I said, "I'm supposed to be adopted my Bob and Amy. They are going to be my parents soon! They have taken me in, and loved me. I love them!" I stated with conviction.
Ginny spoke up. She was no longer crying, but looked a bit terrified that I would even think of staying with Bob and Amy. "We know that you have been living with Bob and Amy, that they took care of you, and we appreciate that very much," she said looking at them. "But you are our son, and we would really like to get to know you. Be there for you like we never were, love you like you have never known, and be a family. We are your parents Ron, and we want you to be with us. I know that down deep in your heart that is your biggest desire. It is ours too Ron. We love you; let us take care of you." she said with tears forming in her eyes again.
I looked at her, and I'm sure disbelief was written on my face. "I won't do it. Bob and Amy are my parents do you hear that? They are! What the hell is with both of you losing your memory at the same time, and gaining it back at the same exact moment! That is incredibly unbelievable. How can I believe you? All I can believe is that I love Amy and Bob, and I do not want to leave them." I again stated with conviction.
Amy looked at me sadly. "I'm sorry Ron honey, I truly am, but they have a right to keep you for six months legally. If after that you still hate it, you can live with us. I don't want this, but there is nothing that can be done. We love you very much Ron," Amy said and she began to cry too.
I couldn't take it. I ran up to my room, slammed the door and sat on my bed. There was no way, this could be happening. All I did was go to school, and come back home at the end of the day. Sometime between me leaving for school and coming home Harry and Ginny came to my get me. They wanted me back. I had to snort at this thought. Where did they get the audacity to come in, and demand to take me to live with them? I went from foster home to foster home and as soon as I find the perfect home with loving people who want to adopt me, my biological parents come and claim they had some sort of amnesia. How do two people "get" amnesia at the same time, and also overcome it at the same moment. Honestly, they must not be telling me something or they are lying.
As I was thinking, I heard a knock on the door. I got up and answered it, thinking it was one of the girls curious as to why I slammed the door. I was surprised when I opened the door and came face to face with my parents. I would have thought they had left, after they realized that I wasn't thrilled to see them.
I let them pass into my room. My mother came in first, and looked around the room. It looked like a typical 14 years old. The room was big, with a bed, dresser and chair, a bean bag and desk. There were clothes thrown all over, and posters on the walls of soccer teams and big chested blonds. I liked it. The room definitely said Ron Potter. Potter just like my parents last name. I didn't want to think it about it like that.
My father stepped in the room, after my mother. He looked at it, smiled at me, like he approved of it and asked if he could sit in the chair beside the desk. I said yes, and at the same time my mother decided to sit at the end of the bed. I couldn't decide what to do with myself. Its not everyday one meets there real parents. In the end, I decided to sit on my bean bag.
"So, what do you want?" I asked rather dumbly.
My parents looked at each other, as if they were having a silent conversation. It was my father who decided to talk.
"We want you," my dad said honestly, "we lost you once, and now that we have the opportunity to get you back, well, were going to try to make things right. There are many things you don't understand, but will in time…but there is something you need to know now. When you were born, your mom and I were so happy. We loved you so much. We fed you, cleaned you, played with you, and held you. I loved holding you. I used to marvel at the fact, that you were my son. When I was your age, I didn't know if I would survive, let alone get married and have a child, but then you came along. I knew that my life couldn't get any better. Then the 'accident' happened, and everything was lost. Now I have a chance to regain my life, but if I don't have my son then I don't have anything at all," he ended, once again with tears in his eyes.
My mother decided to take over the conversation, "we have so many things to tell you. But it is unfair of us just to take you." She got of the bed, and went and leaned in front of me. "So how about we make deal. I talked about it with Amy and Bob, and they have agreed. You will live with us for three months instead of six, if during that time you don't like it, you can come back here at the end of those three months. All of us would work out the details if it comes to that. Also, within the next three months you can visit them for one weekend a month. Does that sound fair?" she asked me quite hesitantly.
My father looked over as if he was wondering what I would say. I put my head down while I thought it through. Should I do it? Part of me was screaming yes, and the other part was screaming no. I always wondered about my biological parents and if they loved me and their actions presently, showed that they did. The other part of me blamed them. They were the reason I went from foster home to foster home! They were the reason, why I never felt I belonged anywhere! But the anger started to dissipate slowly, and the other part of me won out.
I looked up a few minutes later, and saw my mom looking straight ahead at the wall lost in her own thoughts. I wondered briefly if she was worried over the choice I was going to make. I then looked over at my dad. He was looking straight at me. I realized that he had been staring at me the entire time. Was he doing this because he hadn't seen me since I was one and a half years old? He spoke up, when I caught him. "Have you decided?" he asked. My mom came out of her daze, and looked me right straight in the eyes.
"I'll try it," I said barely above a whisper.
My mother grabbed me and I was soon pulled into a fierce hug. She started kissing my forehead repeatedly. My father came over, and hugged us both. He started crying as well. It was a very sappy moment. It was not for me, though. I kept wondering if I made the correct decision. Was I going to be able to handle there life? Only time would tell.
The days started to pass by quickly. I was still staying with Bob and Amy, but my parents were calling on a regular basis. I learned on these calls that my mom had a lot of family, but sadly my father did not. We were his only family.
I was packing up my things at Bob and Amy's, while my parents got my room together. Bob and Amy sat me down a few days after I met my parents, and told me I would always be like a son to them, that this would always be my home, and I could come here whenever I wanted. I was part of their family and they wanted to make sure I knew that.
We all decided that I would still go to the same school. My friends were there, and it wouldn't be fair taking me out of the high school, I just started. I was very happy that I would still be with my friends, and that something would stay stable in my life.
Three days before I was scheduled to move in, my parents asked if would like to go on a walk with them, because they had something important to tell me. I met my parents at the local park, where there were trails to walk on.
"Hi," I said sheepishly. I was still not entirely comfortable with them yet.
My father gave me a firm hug, and my mom kissed my cheek. We started walking down one of the paths, and I was between both of them. Trees were on the sides of us, hiding us from other peoples' view.
"How was school?" my father asked me.
"It was alright, Harry. Not to bad. Math class was horrible, though. I can't keep all those formulas in my head straight," I said. I still wasn't calling my parents mom or dad yet, it was all still quite new to me.
Ginny looked at me. "That can't be fun. I never had to worry about that, though," she said as if she was greatly relieved that she never had to experience that.
I looked at her in disbelief, "You didn't have to take math, but isn't that some sort of school requirement. How did you end up graduating high school then?"
My parents looked at each other as if they were having a silent conversation with one another. "We should tell him, Gin," my father said finally.
"Tell me what," I asked. Now I was very curious to know what they were hiding.
My father answered me, as if he was expecting my question. His green eyes stared into mine. "What do you think about magic?" he asked me.
My mother looked at me waiting for the answer with baited breathe. "What do you mean, like Houdini? I think he's cool. But I mean we all know that he and other guys like him aren't really doing any magic…it's all an illusion. Why do you ask?"
"That's not what he meant," my mom said.
They were looking quite apprehensive. For the life of me I couldn't understand why.
"Well then I don't know what you mean," I said.
My mom looked at me. We stopped walking for a moment, and she faced me. "This might sound strange to you, but please believe me or us I should say. There is a magical world out there filled with witches and wizards. There are communities for them, even schools as you will find out. This community is hid from muggle view, or should I say away from non-magical people. Your dad and I, well, we can do magic. Your dad is a wizard, and I'm a witch," she said with great anticipation as she waited for my reaction. I looked at Harry bewildered, and he looked back at me, as if saying, "Yes, Ron your mom is telling the truth."
My first reaction was that I was scared for their sanity. That "accident" really seemed to have messed up their heads.
"Uhhh," was all I could manage. How do you tell your parents you just met, that they were insane.
My mom looked at me. "I know that this seems unbelievable but…" she looked around making sure nobody could see, but the dense trees left us from the sight of other people, "I'll show you." With that, she took out what looked liked to be a long stick. She pointed it and said, "Lumos," and the wand glowed. Then she said another incantation and the dirt from the ground twisted in a circle in the air, then stopped and settled back down again.
"What?" was all I was capable of saying.
My father put his hands on both of my shoulders, and looked me straight in the eyes. His green eyes were shining. He was talking to me but panic was starting to set in. "I know this is a shock to you, but you will come to like the idea in the future and…."he started to finish his sentence but I interrupted him.
"So wait, in the past few weeks I learn that my parents didn't truly desert me, but lost their memories… but now…now…you tell me that magic exists…and that you both possess the ability to do it. What the hell is going on? Why do I have to deal with all of this" and with that I started running back to Amy and Bob's house.
"Ron wait!" my mother yelled. I heard her, but I kept on running. I had to get out of there. I didn't know what was happening with my life, but I knew I didn't like it. I didn't like it one bit.
I finally made it back home. I realized with a jolt that it wouldn't be my home much longer, but Amy and Bob said that this would always be home no matter what. I took comfort in that.
I rushed inside and slammed the door. Kelly (the oldest girl) was in the living room doing her homework when I walked in. "Hey Ron," Kelly said, "Bad day?"
"You have no idea," I replied.
"You can always talk to me, you know that right?" Kelly said sincerely.
"Ya, I know. Thanks. I just have a lot on my mind," I said rather honestly.
"Ya about your parents…Harry and Ginny. I know you must be confused, but do realize everything that happens is meant to happen. I firmly believe that, but I will miss you. If anything happens, you know that you have a home here, right? You will always be my younger brother no matter what, please believe that" she said pleadingly.
"I do…I do. I just need some time to figure this all out. Is Bob or Amy here? I need to ask them a question," I asked her.
"Yup, they're upstairs in the guess bedroom cleaning out the closets," she replied.
"Thanks," I said. I leaned down and gave her kiss on the cheek. She just smiled at me with tears in her eyes.
I ran upstairs to the guess bedroom. I passed through the door and saw Bob and Amy looking over some papers they found in the closet.
"Hey," I said.
They both turned around and looked at me. They knew I went to the park to see my parents.
"It didn't go well did it Ron?" Amy asked me softly.
"No it didn't," I admitted honestly, "They told me some things and showed me some things that shocked me."
"What did they tell you," Bob asked me.
"Okay, well this is going to sound strange but…"
"That magic is real and that Harry is a wizard and Ginny is a witch," she said softly.
"Ya, wait..how did you know that," I asked. How did she know?
"Harry and Ginny told us the other day. It was a shock, but they wanted to tell you. We had to respect their wishes," Bob said apologetically.
"Oh okay," I mumbled.
"How do you feel knowing you're a squib, baby?" Amy asked quietly.
"Wait, what's a squib? I ran away after they told me that they could perform magic. They never got on the subject of squibs" I stated.
Amy and Bob looked at each other, not knowing what to say. "Will you please stopping looking at each other like that? Harry and Ginny do the same thing and its annoying. It's like I'm being left out of a conversation," I said angrily.
"Sorry, bud," Bob said. "It's just that I don't know how to say this." He took a deep breathe and continued. "A squib is a person that comes from a magical family, but cannot do magic themselves. They do not know what causes it, but it happens. I'm so sorry, Ron. Your parents can do magic and so can your relatives but you cannot." He declared softly.
I just stood their in shock not moving. First I learn that magic exists, my parents and relatives are witches and wizards, but I am not. I am just a squib.
"It figures," I stated quietly. "Is there anything else I should know about?" I asked sarcastically.
"Well…ummm…to be honest there is sweetheart. They told us some other things, but we will tell you the abridged story so you know so you can be prepared," Ann said and then continued. "There was once and an evil wizard named Voldemort. He killed many people, especially non magical people who he considered to be inferior. He developed quite a following in his time. These followers were called Death Eaters. When your father was born a prophecy was made, and it stated basically that your dad would be the downfall of this man. Of course, Voldemort could not take this chance. He wanted to stay in power. So when your dad was over a year and a half old he came to his house with the intent of killing him, and his parents died trying to protect him. After Voldemort killed your grandparents, he went after your father. He performed the death curse on him, but it backfired on him and he went into exile for a little over a decade. Your father was known and still is as "The boy who lived," because no one had ever survived the killing curse. While your father went to Hogwarts (the wizarding school), Voldemort came back to power. Voldemort went after you father again on numerous occasions, but when Harry was in his last year at school he killed Voldemort… saving the wizarding world from darkness. Now your father is known as the most powerful wizard this century. Your mother is also known to be very powerful herself. She helped your dad at the final battle, and has the reputation of being one hell of an auror and…."
"Wait, what's an auror?" I asked.
"They hunt down evil wizards, and help keep the wizarding community safe." She said.
I looked at her with disbelief. "What, how do you know all of this?"
"I asked for a book on the history of the magical world so we would know some things about the magical world," Bob answered.
My head was spinning. It was all too much. "So wait, my parents are magical but my father is more powerful than most wizards ever. My mother is one hell of an auror, but I am a squib who cannot do basic magic. "How incredibly wonderful for me," I ended bitterly.
"Listen Ron, it does not matter that you are not a wizard. You are sweet, kind, smart and thoughtful. Those characteristics are more important than doing magic. Your parents agree. They could careless that you can't do magic. They love you regardless," Ann said with tears rolling down her cheeks.
I couldn't process all of this in just one night. Why couldn't I just be like a normal kid? "I…I need to lie down. I need time to process all of this." I said and with that I shut the door and headed to my room.
Ann and Bob knew not to follow me. They understood that these revelations were not easy to take and I needed time to think. I opened my door and lied back on my bed. The same two thoughts kept running through my mind, "How could I live with Harry and Ginny and see them do magic, while I watched in the background knowing that I could never do such a thing. Should I just back out of the deal, and see them only occasionally?" I feel into an uneasy sleep a little with these thoughts running through my mind.
I woke up to harsh voices. I walked over and opened my door. I peaked outside and saw Kelly, Amanda and Lauren outside of there doors too. They were also listening to the argument. I realized after listening closely, that those voices were Harry and Ginny! They were fighting with Bob and Amy! I ushered the girls to go back into their rooms. They complied. I slowly walked to the guest bedroom where the noise was calming from. I could make out the voices much more clearly now.
"You didn't have the right to tell him all of that," I heard Ginny yell.
"What was I supposed to do? Let him not know and find out from others?" Ann yelled back.
"We were going to tell him…he just ran before we could tell him," Harry answered in a low tone.
I inched near the door, and looked in. I saw Harry and Ginny standing near one side of the bed, and Amy and Bob standing at the other end.
"We wanted to tell him…we wanted him to understand that he being a squib doesn't change anything. We love him, and we don't care either way. We just want him to be happy," Ginny sobbed.
"Do you…do you think that Ron won't stay with us now that he knows?" Harry stuttered painfully. Ginny sobbed even harder.
I had to do something. They were both very upset. In some way, it touched me knowing they cared. I had to do something though, they were too upset.
I walked into the room. Bob and Amy saw me from where they were standing, but Harry and Ginny did not.
"I still want to give this a try. I want to see if it will work," I said quietly but quite truthfully.
Harry and Ginny turned around when I started to speak. My father came over to me when I finished and said, "You don't know how much this means to us," and gave me a kiss on my forehead. Ginny came and hugged me, and continued sobbed. She was saying something but at first I could not make out what it was. Gradually, I was able to hear what she was repeating, "Thank you, Thank you, Thank you." I knew that there was no turning back now, I had to go. I could only wait and see what would happen.
Next chapter: Meet the Weasleys-Ron learns why his parents weren't there for him. He meets the family, and realizes that being a squib in a community of wizards and witches can be hurtful.