"How are you Ron?" Harry asked a few days later as he unlocked the shop so Ron could enter.
Harry hadn't gone to work at the ministry deciding he wouldn't be treated as a normal person there. He helped out on occasion like with the plea for help from the other governments. Neither he nor Ron had any wish at all to return to Hogwarts. After Hermione died, they couldn't even think of going back.
"I got the stuff George wanted." He patted his pocket lightly, "You want to come along?"
"Sure, let's see if we can get that to work." Harry locked the door behind Ron, they weren't set to open for another hour.
"Yaxley got kissed." He announced to both men as they moved into the lab behind the store.
"Good." Harry and George nodded together.
"I have your time sand." Ron said after a few seconds of silence. He pulled a bag from his pocket, "Croaker says you have to share your findings."
"No problem." George agreed, "Let me see it."
Ron went to hand it over but didn't quite make it to George's hand. All three of them tried to catch the bag before it hit the floor, but they crashed their heads together instead. The bag exploded on contact with the floor and sand flew in all directions and encompassed the three of them.
Harry woke sometime later with a groan and tried to pull himself together. He noted that the two gingers were still near him. He slowly pushed himself up on his hands and knees to hopefully keep the room from spinning as he did. It didn't work so he sat down and pushed up into a sitting position and held onto his head until it quit spinning. When he started to feel better, he looked around to get his bearings. He didn't recognize where they were but he did notice the dust and cobwebs. Ron and George took that moment to groan as they tried to regain consciousness.
"Take it easy." Harry started and paused noticing his voice, it was different.
"Harry, why do you sound like a little kid?" George groaned and turned his head to look, "Oh, it's because you are a little kid. What happened to us?"
"Ron dropped the time sand." Harry explained.
"Sorry, everything seems off since Hermione was killed." Ron still hadn't moved, "I actually splinched the other day but it was just a few fingernails so no one caught on."
"Any idea where we are?" Harry asked as George managed to sit up.
"Kind of looks like the back of the shop when we first bought it." George looked around, "We used an extension charm to make it big enough for the lab."
"How old would you say I am?" Harry continued to ask questions.
"Oi, I'm the auror." Ron was finally moving, "I get to do the questions."
"I doubt you are yet." George chuckled at him, "You look about the same as when you started Hogwarts."
"When do you think we are?" Ron asked.
"Sometime in July before my eleventh birthday." Harry answered pushing up his sleeve and holding out his arm, "Vernon gave me these bruises after Dudley's birthday trip to the zoo late June. They lasted a few weeks."
Both Ron and George could see the livid black and purple bruises wrapping around Harry's upper arm. Ron looked at him in alarm, "What about your scar?"
"I don't know." He shrugged, "I can't do that spell on myself."
"I can with a wand." Ron held out his empty hands.
"I wonder if we're replacing our younger selves or if we are duplicates?" George asked ignoring the questions he didn't understand.
They stopped talking when they heard a creaking noise from the front of the store. It hadn't lasted long but they were all sure it had been silenced. George stood and produced his wand while Ron moved behind him. Harry hadn't moved and was staring intently at the door. After a few moments he stood and moved closer to George.
"It's Kingsley." He whispered, "How are we going to explain this?"
George and Ron shrugged as the door disappeared and a large body filled the space it left. After a few seconds Kingsley moved from the doorway, dropped to a crouch and lowered his wand, but didn't put it away. They could see his face as he moved and it had a small smile.
"Easy boys." His deep voice was made soft, "I'm not going to hurt you."
Harry looked to the others and found them looking back at him. He sighed and made up his mind to trust the man, "We know you won't Kingsley."
"You seem to have me at a disadvantage." Kingsley lifted his wand ever so slightly, "I know you two are the missing Weasleys, but you I'm not sure of."
"Replaced then." George sighed and sat on the floor again leaving his wand in his lap.
Ron joined him on the floor so Kingsley would be able to focus on Harry and would be less likely to accidently hex one of them. Harry meanwhile lifted his fringe and showed his scar.
"Harry Potter." Harry confirmed for the man.
"How did you three get in here?" Kingsley jolted at the name.
"It was an accident." Ron and Harry said at the same time that George pointed to Ron and said, "It was Ron's fault."
"Way to stick up for your brother George." Ron huffed.
"We always try to blame you." George chuckled, "What would make you think this time would be any different?"
"Merlin forbid." Ron huffed.
"What…" Kingsley stopped and rethought his question, "Explain the accident."
"When I was fifteen, I was in the department of mysteries being chased by Death Eaters." Harry explained quickly, "They destroyed the time turners but Croaker saved the actual sand. When I was nineteen George and I were trying to replace the time turners with a spell. We needed some sand and Ron being an auror talked Croaker into letting us have some. We were in the back of George's shop in Diagon Alley when Ron went to hand it over; it accidentally dropped to the ground, busted open, and here we are."
"How old are you now?" Kingsley sounded a little strangled.
"We're guessing about eleven because Ron and I don't have wands." Harry explained, "In a few years Dumbledore will restart the Order of the Pheonix and you'll join with Moody and your partner, but she's still in school at the moment."
"Alright." Kingsley obviously did not believe him.
"I'm not making things up." Harry stated.
"He also has the bruises that show he's still living with his relatives." Ron reached up to Harry and pulled on his sleeve.
"Isn't this the summer of the exploding toilets?" George spoke up interrupting Ron's train of thought.
"The what?" Harry asked bewildered at the change in subject
"It was." Ron answered at the same time, "Ridgley was caught in August by Dad and Moody."
"Hammy or something wasn't it?" George asked.
"Hamlet Ridgley." Ron corrected, "He was caught in Cornwall but that's not until August. Mid July he was in London near the tower."
"How in Merlin's name do you remember that?" Harry asked incredulously.
"It was one of my case studies." Ron shrugged, "The whole thing is in the auror files. Dad's department is a small side department of law enforcement but he can't make arrests. He worked with Moody most of the time because of his ability to look into muggle homes and businesses to see what the wizards were doing. That way they don't have to barge in and break the Statute of Secrecy, if the criminal has already done it then that's an additional charge."
"Good thing Her… someone taught you how to memorize stuff." George caught himself.
"When I became an auror you told me that your only regret for being married to the job was that it could never produce children." Ron had turned to Kingsley, "You're the only one of your five brothers without children."
"Merlin." Kingsley's knees hit the floor.
"Do you believe us now?" Harry turned to him.
"Yes." Kinglsey leaned against the wall, "I'm not going to be able to take you home yet."
"No worries." Harry grinned, "The longer I'm not there the happier I am."
"Do you know how to pull memories?" Kingsley asked the small dark-haired boy, "I want to see how you got those bruises."
"Dumbledore will just send me back anyway." Harry shrugged, "There are blood wards on the house to keep out death eaters. As long as I call the place home they hold and somehow offer me some kind of protection, just not this kind." Harry indicated his bruised arm.
"Just say it Harry." Ron bumped his unbruised arm, "If you say it isn't home, he can't send you back, it won't be safe enough."
Harry acknowledged his advice but turned to the auror and changed subjects, "What do you know about Horcruxes?"
"That is some very dark magic." the man nodded, "We are trained in handling them."
"Can you remove one without destroying the vessel?" Harry asked hoping for the best.
"Do you know where one is?" Kingsley was shocked again.
Harry lifted his fringe and tapped his scar, "It's why I don't want the vessel destroyed. Moldyshorts accidentally gave it to me the night he attacked my parents and I. "
"How do you know?" he had forgotten for a moment who he was talking to.
"I had to die to get rid of it, last time." Harry answered, "But I lived through it."
"What is it?" George asked, he'd not heard of that magic before.
"Piece of Volde's soul." Ron answered, "He made several before he went after Harry. When he lost his body a piece just fell off."
"Merlin." Kingsley groaned again.
"Can you remove it without killing me?" Harry asked again.
"There are notes for it." Kingsley admitted, "But it was for removing it from animals not humans. Not to mention it hasn't been tried in centuries."
"What if you had some practice?" Harry tried not to grin since it was a serious subject but he knew he was going to give the man another shock, "I know where five other pieces are. Well technically six, I guess. His main piece is in Albania for a few more weeks."
"Do you want me to get Albus in on this?" Kingsley asked after several moments of silence.
"No, I don't think that's the best idea." Harry hesitated, "Not that Dumbledore isn't light and great and all that."
"But he died." Ron interrupted, "He left us in a right mess too."
"How did he die?" Kinsley was trying not to show he was on guard again.
"He messed with a Horcrux and didn't notice the secondary curse on it." Harry explained, "He was more worried about what the object was than what had been done to it."
"What was the object?" Kingsley asked.
"Just a ring." Harry feigned ignorance, "I would have thought that the locket once belonging to Salazar Slytherin would have gotten more attention."
"Or Helga Hufflepuff's cup." Ron agreed.
"Whatever it was he wanted it bad and he got killed over it." Harry Finished.
"Who killed Voldemort then?" Kingsley wondered aloud.
"Suicide." Harry chuckled.
"He used the killing curse on Harry." Ron explained, "For some weird reason his killing curses don't affect Harry the right way."
"Which we are all very grateful for." George added.
"If I'm fighting him, they always rebound." Harry added, "The time I didn't fight him I died but lived through it."
"Merlin." Kingsley swore again, "Why this store? Why not appear in your homes?"
"This is George's home." Ron chuckled, "He lives above his shop."
"I didn't think you'd go anywhere without your twin." Kingsley observed slightly confused.
"He died." Harry answered and then hugged George, "But he's alive here."
"Sorry." Kingsley felt bad for that, "Right so let me get you three to the ministry and we'll see where to go from there."
"Not safe enough for him." Ron pointed at Harry, "You don't realize how many death eaters are still alive and well, working for the ministry."
"Alright, where do you propose we go?" Kingsley was getting exasperated.
"Moody?" Harry asked, "Would he have a pensive?"
Kingsley sent a patronus and went to wait by the door. He had the boys come out into the shop space to wait for Moody to arrive. He wasn't going to let them out of his sight.
"What about Crouch?" Ron whispered to Harry, they were well away from the door to hide their presence.
"That's not until later." Harry shook his head.
"Fine, do we tell him about Sirius?" he asked.
"Not until some trust has been developed." Harry told him, "We'll see what he does next before I begin to trust him fully. I've stuck my neck out as far as I'm going to."
"I can't find Fred." George grabbed Harry's arm, "We've always had a mind link and I can't find it."
"It may have to wait for you to get together again." Harry pointed out, "It may click when you see him or touch him. If it doesn't, we'll worry about it later."
"Hey Kingsley, what is the date anyway?" Ron spoke up.
"July twenty fifth of ninety-one." He answered just as another patronus arrived.
A quick trip on a portkey found the three boys and Kinsley at the door of a nice clean cottage. Harry noticed the garden in the front had several magical plants. After the security questions were out of the way Moody opened his door.
"You found the missing Weasleys so why did you need me?" the grouchy man asked, "Just get them to the Burrow."
Harry leaned out from behind George and waved at the man, "Hi, I'm Harry Potter."
"Shack?" Moody growled as Kingsley herded the three boys into the house, "How did he get here and what in Merlin's name is going on?"
"I found them in the back of an empty shop in Diagon alley. I was patrolling and heard a sound from inside. It looks like accidental time travel." Kingsley grimaced, "They know things they shouldn't."
"Accidental?" Moody glared at the three, "What do they know."
"They know who is exploding the toilets and when you'll catch them." Kingsley explained, "Mr. Weasley appears to be my mentee in the future. I brought them here to use the pensieve. Mr. Potter, it seems, is being abused in the home that Albus left him."
"That's the easiest to deal with." Moody turned to Harry, "Can you pull the memories or do you need help?"
"George do you mind?" Harry held out his hand for his wand as Kingsley went and retrieved the pensieve.
"Sure Harry." George handed it over.
Harry pulled out seven memories and handed the wand back to George, "We should all go in."
Harry was the first to stick his finger in the bowl and was followed by Ron and George. Kingsley and Moody followed after a short pause. The first memory was Kingsley finding them in the back room of the shop. Moody glanced at Ron as the memory detailed the crime spree. The next memory to play was Moody teaching an older Harry how to beat the imperious curse.
"I'm sure you can tell but that isn't you." Harry explained to the two of them, "That's Barty Crouch Junior. He didn't die in Azkaban, his parents helped him escape and Barty senior is keeping him under the imperious curse until Barty junior escapes after our third year. His mother is buried in the grave in Azkaban. Your very good friend Dumbledore either couldn't tell it wasn't you or he left you to rot in your own seven compartment trunk for nine months."
Harry then showed them three of the worst instances of abuse at the hands of the Dursleys followed by the one after the zoo that gave him the bruises on his arm. The last memory was of Dumbledore and Harry talking about the Horcruxes that they knew about in March of his sixth year.
Before either auror could ask, after exiting the pensieve, Harry explained the last memory, "I not sure if Dumbledore knows about the horcruxes right now. He knows for sure after my second year. But he never told you, he expected me to hunt them down and destroy them. I was told not to talk about them to anyone but if I had died no one would have known with him already being dead."
"What was wrong with his hand?" Moody asked still undecided if he trusted this crew.
"Withering curse is what he said." Harry shrugged, "It was on that ring horcrux and he stupidly put the ring on his finger. He died a few months after that memory. Snape kills him but it is as a favor to Dumbledore. In addition, it cements his place in Voldemort's favor, also on Dumbledore's order. Snape truly is a spy for the light and wants Voldemort dead."
"Even though he is still the greasy bat of the dungeons that everyone loves to hate." Ron added.
"And the abuse?" Kingsley asked diverting the subject momentarily.
"The three worse episodes I can remember and the incident that gave me these bruises." Harry explained.
"All Harry has to say is that he doesn't call that place home and the wards break." Ron explained, "They're only holding on by a hair. There was never the familial love that is required to really hold them."
"We're pretty sure Dumbledore knows what's going on in that house and does nothing." George added, "He wants Harry to listen to him and do everything he says. Like a puppet with Dumbledore in control of the strings. If Harry is downtrodden, he'll look up to Dumbledore as his savior and not realize he's being manipulated."