It was the thirtieth of July and tensions were running high. The four of them were excited about their upcoming expedition, but Ron and Aralynn were still worried about whether the outcome would be successful. Fred and George didn't seem to be quite as nervous, but it was obvious that they were excited solely for the rule-breaking aspect of the trip. Not that Ron and Aralynn expected anything different from them. They liked Harry, sure, but their reasons for tagging along on this journey had absolutely nothing to do with him. They had spent the entire day imitating the sound of a revving engine each time they passed Ron or Aralynn. Ron had been trying to convince them to be serious for even one second so he could try and map out a route for them. Aralynn had been repeatedly going over her plans, checking every small detail. She wanted to ensure that everything would go smoothly. She needed surety that, given anything went awry, there was still a solution around it. There was no chance in hell that she would leave Privet Drive without Harry.

The day seemed to drag on while she waited for nightfall. Each minute was agonizingly slow, and Aralynn couldn't stop herself from looking at the clock every few seconds, even though she knew that time would only seem slower the more she looked. Thankfully, Molly had been too distracted to notice how fervently obsessed with the clock she had become. She spent a greater portion of the morning dealing with a mysterious explosion that had come from Fred and George's bedroom. Aralynn assumed that they might have intentionally blown something up as means of distraction. Then, in the late afternoon, Ginny began having a meltdown about starting her first year at Hogwarts. Of course, Aralynn didn't know whether Fred and George had recruited her. Even if they hadn't, it was still convenient for Molly to have been continually preoccupied.

Once it started getting dark, Aralynn was nearly jumping out of her skin. Anxiety was filling her body with kinetic energy that was desperate for use. She waited as patiently as she could for time to progress until she was sure that her family was asleep. Soon enough (but not soon enough), it was half-past midnight. She slipped out of bed, tiptoed to Ron's room, and poked his forehead. Amazingly, he wasn't asleep. His excitement, and nerves, must have been equally as intense as hers. He hopped out of bed, dressed, and went with her to Fred and George's room. Before they could even knock, Fred pulled the door open, and the two of them slipped into the hallway.

The four of them walked down the ridiculous number of staircases, and into the garage where Arthur's light blue Ford Anglia was. They were careful as they closed doors and were quiet as possible while George started the car. He drove down the dirt pathway for a few moments before shifting gears, and the car shot into the sky. Fred reached out and pressed in a silver button, which activated an invisibility cloaking system that their father had installed. They were on their way to rescue Harry Potter.

Aralynn peered out the window, at the dark hills that seemed to overtake Ottery St. Catchpole. If the sun was out, they would have been varying shades of green rather than gray. Even in the dark, it was a breathtaking sight to behold. She looked over when Ron gently nudged her side. "What's up?"

"What are we going to do when we, more or less, abduct Harry?"

"Run for the hills," Fred answered.

Aralynn laughed. "Yeah, pretty much. We're going to grab Harry, his school supplies, and then we're going to get the hell out of there."

"What if his aunt and uncle wake up?"

"We'll think of something."

"I know you've thought this through. Try a better answer than 'we'll think of something.'"

She laughed again. "Listen, Ron, I have thought of far too many failsafe options to list out to you. Just trust me—I have us covered."

Ron nodded. "Well, you've never let me down before. Not yet anyway."

"Oh, don't worry. There's still time."

"So!" George suddenly shouted. Aralynn jumped, nearly launching herself through the roof. "What's it like to be The Girl Who Lived, eh, Cherry? Glorious?"

"As glorious as de-gnoming the gardens, and sweeping floors, can be," Aralynn shrugged. "It hasn't been much different. We've been home almost the whole time I've known."

"Oh, sure," said Fred. "You'll be a celebrity at school, Carrot Top. The first year Gryffindors will probably line up to get your signature."

"I'm sure they'd want Harry's rather than mine."

"Harry Shmarry!" George exclaimed.

"Yeah, Harry's old news! You were the undiscovered twin! You'll be the more interesting one!"

"I'm sure you're both trying to be funny, but you're failing," said Aralynn.

"Oh, c'mon now, Gingersnap. Did your sense of humor die with your Weasley name?" asked George.

Aralynn chuckled. "Yeah, maybe."

"Well, that simply will not do!" Fred proclaimed with a slap to the dashboard. "No sister of ours is going to sour like that ruddy old Percy!"

Aralynn shook her head. "I'm not going to sour. I just don't like thinking that I might be treated differently when we return to Hogwarts. I don't want to be The Girl Who Lived. I want to be Aralynn… just another student trying to get through the year like everyone else."

"Not sure there's much you can do to get around that," George said.

"I know," Aralynn sighed.

"Malfoy is going to have a field day," Ron interjected. "You've got to know he's going to be merciless. Maybe he didn't bother you much last year because you scare him, but he's going to be down your throat this year. You know that, right?"

"Well, I honestly hadn't really thought about it until right now. Thank you for that."

His ears went red. "Sorry. I just thought that might be something you should be prepared for."

"There's a lot of things I should probably be prepared for, this year, but I am not prepared for any of it. I don't really know if there has ever been a way for me to. I'll just have to take things as they come."

"Roll with the punches!" Fred exclaimed.

Aralynn laughed. "Yes, exactly."

"Hey, Flame Brain?"

"Yes, George?"

"We're almost in Surrey."

Aralynn perked up, looked out the window, and beamed. "Really?"

"Have you ever known me not to be serious?"

She stared blankly at the back of George's head for a long time before deciding it wasn't a question, rhetorical or not, worth answering. She returned her attention out the window. Instead of rural hills, there were now urban houses littering the ground. It wouldn't be too much longer before she was reunited with her brother. With that thought, she suddenly felt nervous. It had been months since she last saw him, and she wondered how much might have changed. How much they might have changed. What if he had decided he didn't really want her to be his sister? He may not have had a choice biologically, but that didn't mean he would willingly think of her as such. Then again, she didn't know why Harry would do that. She tried to push the irrational fears from her head. There was no sense in getting herself worked up over fictional scenarios.

As they soared over Little Whinging, George pulled the car as close to the road signs as he could. The four of them peered out the windows, trying to spot Privet Drive. Aralynn had to roll the window down, and lean halfway out of the car, to really see the small lettering.

"Anything yet?" asked George.

"I see Sunderland Grove," said Aralynn.

"Merlin Way," said Ron.

"Cheshire Drive," said Fred.

George continued to move the car slowly towards the signs. "All of these houses look the same!" he hollered. "How in Merlin's Beard are we supposed to find Harry?"

"Just pay attention to the road signs," said Aralynn. She squinted at one ahead, trying her best to read it. "That one is Aerodrome Way."

"There!" shouted Fred. "Privet Drive!"

George followed the road until they found number four. They slowly circled the house, peering through the windows as to see whether they could spot Harry, or anything that might've looked like his bedroom. Was he still in the cupboard under the stairs? They went around to the back of the house, where they saw bars on only certain windows. They hovered next to it. Fred and George took the opportunity to switch spots.

Ron looked at Aralynn warily. "Don't suppose that's Dudley's room?"

Aralynn was frowning. "I doubt it."

The four of them were staring at the barred window when the curtains moved back, and Harry's face came peeking through the glass. He opened the window as much as he could and smiled widely. "Ron! Aralynn!"

Aralynn smiled brightly at her brother. "Harry!"

"Hiya, Harry!" said Ron. "You weren't joking when you said your aunt and uncle's house was a prison."

Harry smiled sheepishly. "These are new," he said, tugging at the bars. "What are you doing here?"

"Rescuing you, of course," said Aralynn. She reached behind her and grabbed a hooked towrope. She latched it to the bars and grinned at Harry. "Might want to step back."

Cooperatively, Harry did step back. He then took the opportunity to begin packing his things into his trunk as quickly as possible. Aralynn gave the go-ahead to Fred, who pressed down on the gas as hard and fast as he could. The car sputtered and struggled, but after a moment or two, the bars were pried from the house and went crashing into the yard below. Fred backed the car up again, popping the trunk open for Harry's belongings.

"No way they didn't hear that," muttered Ron. "Harry!" he called. "Hurry!"

Harry shoved his crate into the trunk and slammed it shut. Fred shifted the car so that Harry could crawl into the backseat with Ron and Aralynn. Ron pushed the door open and took Hedwig's cage as Harry handed it to him. In that moment, Vernon Dursley burst through the bedroom door. He yelled angrily and incoherently. He went charging at Harry.

"Blimey!" Ron cried. "Harry, get in!"

Harry was climbing out of the window, and into the car, when Vernon grabbed ahold of his ankle and tried to pull him back into the house. "PETUNIA!" the red-faced man screamed. "PETUNIA, HE'S ESCAPING!"

Ron and Aralynn both latched onto Harry and began pulling him forward. They were met with the tension of Vernon pulling in the opposite direction. Had they been any stronger, Aralynn was sure that Harry's body would have ripped in half. Fred and George then joined in helping to pull Harry into the Ford Anglia. Their combined strength proved too much for Vernon Dursley. He was forced to release Harry's ankle, but when he did, he flew from the window and landed in the bushes below. Petunia and her son, Dudley, came running to the window. She looked mortified at the sight of her husband struggling to stand from the bushes. She looked up and met Aralynn's eyes, looking even more mortified. "Lily?" she mouthed.

Aralynn looked awkwardly back at her and then quickly looked away. Once Harry was in the car, he swiftly pulled the door shut and Fred went whipping out of Little Whinging. They were all sitting quietly for a few moments before they began to collectively laugh.

"Did you see him fall?" cackled Ron. "He's probably furious!"

"Oh, he absolutely is," Harry chuckled. He turned to Aralynn and smiled at her. By the look in his eyes, she could only think he missed her. "Hey, Ara."

Aralynn embraced Harry tightly. "I missed you, too."

When they released each other, he grinned at her. It was amusing to him that she knew what he was thinking without him having to say anything. He supposed that, as twins, they had their own unspoken language and understanding of one another. "It's been too long."

"Why haven't you written?" Ron suddenly quizzed. "I've been writing. I know Hermione has been writing. Aralynn's practically written a book. Where've you been?"

Harry sighed. "Well, you see, I wasn't getting any of your letters. This creature, a House Elf, showed up in my bedroom one night – Dobby. He's been stealing my letters. Don't think he meant to tell me, really. It just kind of came out."

Aralynn furrowed her eyebrows. "Why would a House Elf want to steal your letters?"

"He said that he thought if it seemed like you all had forgotten me, I wouldn't want to go back to Hogwarts. He insisted that I don't go back. He said that I would be in grave danger. So, I guess that means you would be, too, Ara."

"Did he explain?" asked Ron.

"He couldn't. Every time he said something that he thought he shouldn't have, he started hitting himself. He's the reason for the bars on my windows. He came on the worst night he could have. Uncle Vernon was throwing a dinner party for his boss. Trying to make a deal, or something. I chased him downstairs for my letters, where everyone was. He said that if I wouldn't willingly stay home, he'd make sure I do. He used his magic and dropped Aunt Petunia's cake on the boss's wife's head. Of course, they thought it was me. Might've been okay until an owl swooped in and dropped a letter from the Ministry on her, too. Uncle Vernon went mad. He told me I was never going to see any of you again—that I was never going to go back to school again. He installed those bars and has been keeping me hostage in my bedroom. Dobby really didn't want me to go back to school."

"Letter from the Ministry?" Ron questioned.

"The Decree for the Reasonable Restriction of Underage Sorcery," Harry explained. "Dobby's magic alerted them, so they sent a warning to remind me that underage sorcery is forbidden." He sighed. "A shame, really. They were almost decent while they thought I could turn them into frogs whenever I wanted."

Aralynn hummed. "Did Dobby say which family he works for?"

Harry looked confused. "What?"

"House Elves are pretty much slaves," explained Ron. "They work for prominent wizarding families. Usually pure-bloods. Did he say which he was working for?"

"No," Harry answered with a frown. "He did mention having a 'master,' but never specified. I got the feeling he was afraid of them. I know, certainly, that he didn't like them."

"Why would he?" Aralynn said with a shake of her head. "He shouldn't have to like the family that enslaves him."

"Well, all I know is that he really wants to protect me. I don't know what from, but something. I told him I had to go back to school. There's no way I'll spend any more time than necessary with my aunt and uncle."

"We don't blame you," Ron said. "Don't worry, though. We have you now!"

Harry smiled. "I couldn't be happier about that. I'd love to spend the rest of the summer with all of you. Especially you, Ara."

Aralynn smiled back at Harry. "Well, you will. Plus, you'll get to go to Diagon Alley with us. Hermione will be there, too. We're supposed to meet up with her."

"Brilliant! How much further to your house?" he asked, watching the sun beginning to peek out from its slumber.

"Not much further," said Fred. "Good to have you with us, Harry."

"It's a pleasure to be here, Fred."


They arrived back at The Burrow early in the morning. The sun was mostly out now, and thankfully, the house was still quiet. The five of them tiptoed inside, looking around warily as they did. Harry paused, enthralled how magical the house was. The self-cleaning dishes, the spoon clock, the self-knitting needles. He smiled from ear-to-ear. "This is where you live?"

Ron's ears went red. "It's not much," he said, "but it's home."

"It's wonderful," Harry gaped, watching as Fred, George, Ron, and Aralynn's spoons switched over to 'HOME' on the clock. Sometimes he forgot how brilliant and incredible magic could be.

"Looks like the coast is clear," said George.

"No Mum," added Fred.

Suddenly, Molly Weasley came running into the kitchen. Her face was the color of a plum. She waved her hands wildly through the air. "WHERE HAVE YOU BEEN? BEDS EMPTY—NO NOTE—CAR GONE! YOU COULD HAVE DIED! YOU COULD HAVE BEEN SEEN! WHAT WERE YOU THINKING?!" Then she caught sight of Harry and she paused. "Of course, I don't blame you, dear."

Aralynn looked awkwardly at her brothers. "Well, Mum… You see, they were keeping Harry prisoner!"

"Yeah!" Ron jumped in. "They had bars on his windows!"

Molly pointed a stern finger. Her face was still purple, but no longer the color of a plum. "You two best hope I don't put bars on your windows!"

Aralynn gave her mother an awkward smile. "Please don't."

"Yes, well, I haven't decided." She pierced the girl with her gaze before turning that sharpness to Fred when he spoke.

"They were starving him, Mum!"

"Sounds like I should be taking notes from these Muggles," Molly said tightly. She, however, turned towards Harry with a bright smile. "Hungry, then, dear?"

"Starved," said Harry with a small smile, if only to further along the very true story the Weasleys were telling her.

"It's scary how fast she can change," Ron muttered to Aralynn, who nodded in agreement. They were watching her hum while she cooked breakfast.

The troublemakers—plus Harry—gathered around the table. They were shortly joined by Percy, who was looking at them suspiciously, especially when he caught sight of Harry. He, however, was decidedly quiet. If only for the moment. That was subjected to change at any given time.

Ginny was the last Weasley to come to the table. She stared awkwardly at Harry for a long moment before completely redirecting her attention to an apple in front of her. She poked at it repeatedly with her fingers, refusing to look away for a single moment.

Harry looked confusedly between Ron and Aralynn.

Ron leaned over, whispering to him. "Ginny has a bit of a crush on you."

"Oh," said Harry, trying to avoid looking at Ginny as to not make her uncomfortable.

Aralynn leaned her head on Harry's shoulder, feeling comforted by his presence. Even though she had only known him for about a year, he felt like home to her. "It's great to have you here, Harry. You've been on my mind all summer. Especially since I never heard back from you. Blimey, I must have written you hundreds of letters."

"I would have responded to every single one," Harry reassured. "I was thinking about you guys all holiday, too. Especially you. I was so worried that you all had abandoned me."

"We would never do that to you, Harry. We're your best friends… and I'm your… sister. Wow, that's still weird to say."

"It's still weird to hear," Harry laughed. "I'm glad I know what's been going on now. Don't get me wrong, I'm still furious with Dobby, but at least I know you weren't ignoring me. I thought you might hate me."

"I thought you might hate me."

"Now we're just running circles," he teased.

"Well, let's forget about that. We both know we don't hate each other, and we know Dobby was hoarding your letters. We'll just shut the book on that one."

"I can agree with that."

"Very good," she said with a smile.

Arthur Weasley then came through the door. He had some dirt on his face and was wearing his signature pointed brown hat upon his head. He looked particularly happy this morning. "Good morning, Weasleys!"

"Morning, Dad!" they greeted together.

Arthur moved to the head of the table and sat down. He pulled the hat off his head and set it down on the floor beside him. "Fascinating night," he said. "Nine raids! Nine!" He clapped his hands together. "Came across many enchanted Muggle items. Truly interesting things. Did you know they have these machines called a VCR?"

"What's a VCR?" George asked.

"Sounds important," said Fred.

"A videocassette recorder!" exclaimed Arthur.

"What's a videocassette?" asked Fred.

"Haven't the foggiest!" Arthur replied cheerily.

He smiled around at all his children but paused at the sight of Harry. Aralynn figured he must have only noticed by the black hair amongst the sea of red. "And who are you?"

Harry stumbled over his words. "Oh—Ha—I'm Harry. Harry Potter."

Arthur was smiling at him. "Good lord. Are you really?"

Harry furrowed his eyebrows and looked at Aralynn with a confused expression on his face. "Well, I mean—I—Yes?"

"Merlin's Beard! Such an honor it is to meet one of the great defeaters of He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named! Such an honor it is to meet Little Red's brother!"

He glanced at Aralynn. "Little Red?"

"One of my multitude of nicknames," answered Aralynn.

Molly came bustling over to Arthur. "Yes!" she shrieked. "Your sons and daughter drove that car of yours last night to rescue Harry!"

"Really?" Arthur said, full of wonder. "How was it? Did you fly it?"

"Fly?!" Molly bristled. "What do you mean fly, Arthur Weasly?"

Arthur stammered. "Ah, well… you see…"

"You told me you only brought that car home because you wanted to understand how it worked! Now you're telling me you've enchanted it?!"

"Only a little…" Arthur muttered.

Molly glowered at him. "Oh, I'll deal with you later, mister," she hissed before smacking his shoulder. She turned back to the stovetop. "Don't you be encouraging their behavior, either!"

"Right, right, Molly dear…" Arthur said, with a grin and a wink towards Fred, George, Ron, and Aralynn. "Terrible actions! From all of you! That was very, very foolish."

Molly, who could see through his façade, went to muttering under her breath while she passed out plates of breakfast to everyone at the table.

Arthur then put Harry in the spotlight. "Tell me," he began, "what exactly is the function of a rubber duck?"

Harry seemed to stumble over the thought. "I… well—I don't really—"

In the nick of time, the Weasley Family's owl, Errol, came crashing directly into the window. Harry looked mortified, while none of the others seemed to be fazed. Molly shuffled to the window to take several letters from the owl's beak.

"Is he okay?" asked Harry, glancing concernedly between Aralynn and Errol.

Aralynn laughed. "Yes, Harry, he's fine. He's always doing this."

"Ruddy old bird," muttered Ron.

Molly shuffled through the mail, set some envelopes aside, and then began handing out the rest. Harry was surprised when she handed him the Hogwarts letter containing all the coursebooks he would need for the year.

"Ah," said Arthur. "Seems Dumbledore knows you're here, Harry. Thoughtful of him to send your mail along with ours."

Aralynn gave Arthur a sidelong glance before forcing her attention to the parchment in her hands. She still felt rather angry with Dumbledore, and she wanted to stand on her chair, and shout about his misdeeds towards Harry. She had to control herself from having an outburst. Her parents, especially her father, admired the Hogwarts Headmaster too much for anyone to say anything otherwise about him. Aralynn respected Dumbledore, and in many ways, she looked up to him, but she still felt some of his actions warranted questioning. She exhaled slowly as an attempt to calm herself while she looked over the list of required books. She noticed that seven of the eight books on her list were written by one man, Gilderoy Lockhart. She recalled the name from several interviews she had read in the Daily Prophet. More specifically, she could remember how much her mother fancied him—how she swooned every time she saw a photograph of him. The thought of having him as a teacher made her nauseous.

Aralynn read some of the list aloud. "Holidays with Hags, Voyages with Vampires, Break with a Banshee—blimey, this is Lockhart's entire bibliography!"

"This is quite a list, Mum," agreed Percy. "Can we afford this?"

"We'll manage," Molly answered.

"We always do!" Arthur added cheerily. "Now, come, Harry—the rubber duck?"

"Oh, Arthur," Molly scolded, but gently. "Let the poor boy have his breakfast!"

"As you wish, my dear," the man answered but nodded at Harry. Then, quietly, he added, "we'll resume this conversation later."


As the day carried on, Ron and Aralynn spent their time with Harry—laughing about things that had happened in their first year at Hogwarts, but also catching each other up on what had happened over their summer holiday. Aralynn didn't have much to report, considering she had spent most of her time skulking around by herself. Harry's recap wasn't particularly exciting, either; as his aunt and uncle were very restrictive about what he could do, but nonetheless, they were glad to hear it. Overall, they were both just glad that Harry was alive and well. As time progressed later in the evening, Aralynn snuck out by herself to sit in her spot in the tallgrass prairie. She looked up to the multicolored sky and found herself absolutely dreading her second year at Hogwarts. There was a very real possibility, as pointed out by Fred and George, that everyone would be treating her differently, in light of her new name—new identity. She didn't want any of her friends to now think of her as unfamiliar or changed. Another factor was Draco Malfoy. She knew that slimy little git would do everything in his power to torture her as much as possible about being a Potter. She envisioned the countless, newfound orphan jokes he would be telling, or insulting the Weasleys in any way he could. Which, he would.

"Ara?" came a voice.

She jumped and let out a quiet yelp of surprise. She turned to see her brother standing there, looking at her with the same eyes she had. "Oh, Harry. I wasn't expecting you."

"Isn't that the point of sneaking away?" he asked as he took a seat next to her.

"I suppose it is," she said with a gentle laugh. "What're you doing out here?"

"Looking for you."

"Why?"

"I was worried."

Aralynn chuckled. "About me? Why would you ever worry about me?"

"This is all new to you."

"What is?"

"The Potter thing. The orphan thing."

"It's pretty new to you, too."

"The famous thing is new for me," he said. "So, I suppose, in a way, the Potter thing is, too, but… the orphan thing? Not so new."

"How did you deal with it?"

"What d'you mean?"

"You didn't have a good family who raised you, like I did. So, how did you deal with knowing that your—our—parents are dead?"

"I've spent a lot of lonely nights missing them… people I've never met… but also, I didn't really have a choice. This is all I've known. It's not like I really knew them when they died. As early as I can remember, they've always been gone. It's sad, but it's also familiar. I think it would be impossible if I had known them. It's hard enough without knowing them."

Aralynn turned her head away, as her eyes had begun to water. "I'm so sorry, Harry."

"What for?"

"That this is the life you've been given," she said, doing her best to keep her tears from slipping out. "It's not fair. Look at the life I have—the family I have. You didn't have anything even close to that. Does that seem right to you? Fair?"

"What's fair?" asked Harry.

Aralynn was taken aback. She paused and looked at her brother, even with the tears rolling down her cheeks. What's fair? It was a question that called for much philosophy, but little answer. She tried to think of some response, but she only found herself stumbling over words that she hadn't yet developed.

He frowned and wiped her cheeks. "Ara, you're crying."

"What's fair?" she repeated, staring at him with her mouth agape.

The black-haired boy shrugged slowly. "Was it fair that our parents died? Was it fair that we survived? Was it fair that we were separated? I mean, is anything fair? Does fairness even exist? So, again… what's fair?"

She released a short breath. "Nothing."

"That's my thinking," he said with a small smile. "I don't think fairness is real. I think that things happen, and things will happen. Whether or not that outcome is good is made up by a lot of different things." He looked at the sky for a long moment. "You shouldn't be sorry for any of this. None of it's your fault, and I'm sure that there was a reason for it being like this."

Aralynn scoffed. "Dumbledore always has a reason, doesn't he?"

Harry looked at her with furrowed eyebrows. "I'm sure he does. I don't think he'd do anything without having some sort of explanation."

"Is it possible for him to explain away leaving you in an abusive home?"

"I'm sure it is."

She sighed sharply. "I know how much you all love Dumbledore. Don't get me wrong. I do, too, but I feel like sometimes someone should question his actions and his motives. Maybe there is a perfectly good explanation for it, but that doesn't make it right, does it? I'm sure he could have found another alternative. I mean, I don't even understand why he separated us to begin with! To an extent, maybe—oh, sure, everyone thought I was dead, but who cares? They were bound to find out eventually, right? So why—"

Harry grasped her shoulders tightly and turned her towards him. "Aralynn, take a breath." When she finally calmed, he continued. "I've asked myself a lot of the same questions over the summer. Believe me, I have. I want to ask Dumbledore for a thorough explanation as much as you do, but you know what? He won't answer. He's not going to say anything about any of it until he feels the time is right. You know that. What I do know, for certain, is that Dumbledore is a good man. He's done everything he has to protect us… and he did. For eleven years, he protected us. That has to count for something."

"It does," Aralynn agreed quietly. She was feeling very small and ashamed in that moment. "It counts, but it was also eleven long years we had to spend away from each other."

"I know," he nodded. "That makes me sad, but we know now. We're together now."

"What if it changes?"

"It won't."

"You don't know that."

"Yes, I do."

"How?"

"I won't let it change. That's how I know. Do you really think that I, for any reason, would let go of you? Especially knowing who you are to me? No way."

"Harry?"

"Yeah?"

"I love you."

"I love you, too, Ara."


Speaking with Harry seemed to be exactly what Aralynn needed. After their conversation, she began feeling, at least, somewhat better. While she was still apprehensive about the upcoming schoolyear, she was feeling more at ease than before. So long as she had Harry and her friends, she would be just fine. The Potter twins were laughing as they walked back into The Burrow. It was surprisingly quiet inside, which Aralynn found vaguely suspicious. She and Harry entered the kitchen, and immediately stopped in their tracks. The room was heavily decorated with streamers and balloons and enchanted floating candles, just like the ones in the Great Hall at Hogwarts. There was a banner enchanted to wave and wiggle and dance above the table. It read 'HARRY & ARALYNN' in Molly's frilly handwriting. There were small, surprisingly quiet, fireworks going off around the banner. Sitting on the table was a three-tier cake with pale yellow frosting and maroon icing to accent it, and candles circling each level of it. The entire Weasley Family (save for Bill and Charlie, of course) were standing behind the table with smiles on their faces. They had planned this entire thing for the two of them.

Ron grinned goofily at them. "Happy birthday, Harry! Happy birthday, Ara!"

Molly ambled over excitedly and kissed them both on the cheek. "Happy birthday, darlings!"

Harry was stunned. "Wow, thank you. I—I don't know what to say."

"Oh, you needn't say anything!" Molly exclaimed. "We would never welcome you to our home on your birthday without having a little celebration."

"This is amazing," he said with a grin. "I've never had this before."

Molly looked saddened by this. Arthur stepped forward to fill the quiet lull before his wife began ranting about how awful the Dursleys were. "Well, you're having it now… and you'll continue to, so long as you're a part of this family."

"P-Part of the family?"

"Of course," Molly said softly, motherly. "You're our family just as much as our Aralynn is."

Harry quickly wiped his eyes. "Thank you so much. Really."

Ron smiled and approached Harry, placing a hand on his shoulder. "We love you, Harry."

Aralynn smiled at her twin brother. "We really do."

"I love all of you, too. Thank you, again. This is incredible."

Molly waved her hand rapidly. "Oh, you've thanked us enough, Harry. Come on, now. Let's have some cake!"

Harry and Aralynn went to the table and sat down with the rest of the family. They waited while Molly began cutting into their birthday cake. Fred and George slipped a few candies to them. "For the second set of twins, something sweet."

Aralynn stopped Harry as he began to unwrap one. "I wouldn't eat that. Just trust me on this one, okay?"

Harry looked confused, but nodded, and put the piece of candy down. Trusting her seemed to be the safest option when it came to Fred and George. "I can't believe this is happening," he said to Aralynn and Ron. "I've never really celebrated a birthday. Feels weird, honestly."

"Best get used to it," Ron told his friend. "Mum never lets anyone's birthday go by. Even when we're at school. She always sends something."

"She always does," Aralynn agreed. "Since you're an honorary Weasley, you should always expect a party or present—something."

He rubbed the back of his neck awkwardly. "I don't feel like I deserve this."

"Well, get that nonsense out of your head," Aralynn ordered.

Ron nodded agreeingly. "Yeah! You do deserve this, Harry. Besides, there's no way around getting any of it, so you might as well accept it. Mum is stubborn."

"She's the most stubborn woman I know," Aralynn laughed.

"Yeah, well, you're the second most stubborn," Ron said.

Aralynn smiled proudly. "I know."

"You two are like the better-behaved versions of Fred and George," said Harry with a chuckle. "It's funny to watch you interact."

"I'm sure we'll get to that point!" Aralynn said. "We're actually twins, after all."

"By the way, Harry, thanks," said Ron.

The black-haired boy looked confused. "For what?"

"Taking Ara off my hands. I couldn't be more thrilled that she's not my twin!"

Harry laughed. "Well, I'm happy to help."

Aralynn, however, gave him a death stare. "That's just rude, Ronald."

"Yes, well, you're a pain, Aralynn."

As Molly placed a piece of cake before her, she scooped up a small portion of it and threw it at Ron. This, of course, sparked cause for retaliation. He attempted to throw some back at her, but it ended up hitting George instead. After this, all hell broke loose. It didn't take long for everyone at the table to begin throwing pieces of cake at each other. Molly was screaming as loudly as she could to try and get everybody to stop, but to no avail. Even Percy joined in on the shenanigans, surprisingly enough. Before long, Molly could even be seen throwing the cake. By the time they were finished, everyone and everything in the kitchen was covered in vanilla cake and colored frosting. It was a complete disaster, but the laughter that filled the home surely made it well worth it. At least until Molly realized the absolute havoc it had caused.

Once they settled down, they ate the remainder of the cake and helped the Weasley matriarch clean (which they assumed would happen). Needless to say, it was one of the best birthdays Aralynn had celebrated. It wasn't particularly unique from any other birthday she had experienced, albeit being on the wrong day—but the defining factor was Harry. Being with him made the commemoration that much more special. In that moment, her heart had never felt fuller. She felt incredibly thankful for every single person in her life.

Once nighttime came around, Molly assigned her old bed in Ron's room to Harry. Aralynn waited patiently in her own bedroom for Molly to stop moving about the house. Once she felt that her mother had settled into bed, she crept out of her room and back into her old bedroom. Ron was dead asleep, but Harry was still awake. Aralynn tiptoed to the bed and slipped into it beside her twin brother. When she did, he turned his head towards her and smiled. Neither of them said anything, but they curled up next to each other and fell peacefully asleep.

In that moment, nothing could pry Harry and Aralynn Potter apart.