Sirius took a quick peek at the next chapter and grinned. "Another good one I am sure, who wants to read this one?" he raised the book in the air and glanced around.
Bill stood up and grabbed the book from him " I think that I will get my turn over with for now"
The Journey from Platform 9 3/4Ron leaned over and whispered to Harry "so you could have just talked to the troll? We didn't have to wrestle the thing?"
Harry snorted and glanced at his parents. The sisn't day anything but both raised their eyebrows at their son. Harry took this to mean 'oh yes mister we know exactly what you are talking about.' Harry grinned at them and shrugged his shoulders.
"Harry, why did you wait until the day before"
" I didn't want Uncle Vernon to say yes and then pretend I never asked him at all. I wasn't going to give him a chance to change his mind"
Severus sat there seething at Petunia's actions. That woman knows perfectly well how to get on to the platform, she didn't even need to go, all she had to do was tell him how.
"Again no one is thinking about the statute of secrecy, at least Potter had the sense to not wear his robes in public, hmm maybe it would be best to have someone at the station ready to help muggleborns through, there could be less incidents that way and someone to Obliviate anyone right away. Thank merlin for Molly, wait Molly knows which platform it is why is she asking her children?"
Bill stopped reading, "Mom, you know how to get to the platform, why are you asking? And loudly?"
"Because more than once I have noticed families or in this case a small boy looking very confused and lost at the station. I figure if I at least ask for the platform number then maybe they will ask for help if they need it. I did not realize I said muggle so loudly there but I do not regret helping a single person get on the platform
Bill stopped again " You were nice to him?, and you helped him."
"Of course we were, we aren't heatless you know. We saw him watching the family and noticed that he was alone. We decided to look out for him at hogwarts. though , we never thought that he could be so sneaky, we don't know about half the stuff he got up to at school. Though really what should we expect from the son of Prongs. We should have expected him to be secretive and sneaky. What?! They looked around and saw all the surprised faces around them. We are wonderful, caring and loving. We may prank others a like a good laugh but when it is really important we can me just as serious as the next person. We saw a boy by himself, pale and smaller than he should be and needing help, we helped.
So we like to make people laugh, that is pretty important right now. Is it really so bad to lighten the world a little, we need to laugh more than anyone as we fight moldyshorts. Harry worries about everyone else, so we look after him."
Everyone continued to look at the twins in amazement. Many of the group were seeing them in a whole new light. Everyone except the Potters, Harry looked at them and smiled. He knew that were alway trying to make him laugh and smile. They even tried to give Dudley some payback, they helped rescue him from the dursleys.
Arthur was so proud of his sons. He knew that there was more to the twins then they let most people see. Most people just saw them as pranksters never seeing the hard work they put into their pranks or the potential they have in creating spells and potions. They would never fit into any mold in the world they were going to make their own place in the world.
Bill just shook his head at his own blindness when it came to his brother, and continued to read
Charlie frowned " I don;t like how ron in talking. He clearly loves his family but he seems to believe that he isn't as good as the Rest of us, or that he cannot make an impact in the world. That he isn't something more than just another weasley" he looked over and caught his father's eye, Arthur looked just as concerned with how Ron was talking. Charlie looked at the rest of his family, he stopped at Percy and he frowned. " I wonder how much of what Ron feels is like what he feels. He is always the one we all tease. Maybe he doesn't realize that even when we tease him we still love and want the best for him. Well mostly..."
"No one noticed that Harry was wearing rags and willing to spoil essentially a stranger. While food is always a good way to befriend a boy especially a weasley. NO one thought it odd that he seemed wholly interested in himself and wanted assurances that he would be left behind the rest of his year mates!" Asked Remus
Ron, Hermione and Neville looked at each other. " No Sir," said Neville " I think we were all too nervous to notice that it wouldn't be normal first year behaviour. And though the Twins noticed, umm we were eleven, what did we know?" argued Neville. "I am not saying that Harry didn't need help but what about the adults in Harry's life like Hagrid, who had been told by his family that they tried to stamp out his magic, Why didn't he mention something and have another professor check on him. What about Mrs Weasley, while I am grateful that she helped my friend onto the platform, she has raised 7 children surely she could have noticed that he was wearing clothes that didn't fit hi plus having been alone at the station. Don't blame three eleven year olds for not noticing something the adults didn't" Neville was eating rather hard at the end of his speech. This being the first time he had really spoken up and disagreed with his professor.
The adults in the room looked around ashamed. Remus went red with eh reminder that he should have already been around to check on his best friends son. Remus knew when harry was heading to Hogwarts, he could have tried to make contact with him at the station. Siris leaned over and whispered " they don't blame you for not being there, they know that it would have been hard with your furry little problem."
" I still should have tried harder to see him then i did . I hope that I can make it up to all of them."
Lily looked at him and got up and hugged him. "Well done for defending yourself and yourself. You are a good friend and good for you for reminding the others hear that it was their responsibility to look out for Harry too not just his friends"
Harry came up to him, and patted him on the back. " im with mom, they shouldn't try and blame you guys for noticing something that I was trying to hide. I was really good at hiding my insecurities from everyone.
Snape couldn't contain himself and smacked Draco in the back of the head lightly. " insulting anyone in front of someone you want to make friends with is a very stupid thing to do. You had no way of knowing if Weasley had made a good impression or a bad impression, insulting him only made him resent you more and clearly reinforced his thought that you were like his cousin and only coming to know him because of his title.
Bill read about Harry's first look at the castle. And remembered his first time. Everyone remembered their first glimpse of the Castle. It was an important part of the experience.
He finished the chapter and looked around for the next person to read
Break"How about we all take a break from reading, there are rooms through those doors if anyone needs a lie down, Kitchen and dining room through the double doors if anyone is hungry. James, Dumbledore and I will be going to one of the rooms over there to have a chat." said Lily
Lily, James and Dumbledore go into one of the rooms along the wall of the reading room.
Lily looks at Dumbledore, "ALBUS DUMBLEDORE HOW DARE YOU COMPLETELY DISREGARD OUR WISHES FOR HARRY. YOU KNEW THAT PETUNIA AND I FOUGHT, HOW COULD YOU POSSIBLY THINK THAT IT WOULD BE OK TO SEND MY SON TO HER. SHE CALLED ME FREAK! SHE TREATED HIM NO BETTER THAN A HOUSE ELF" Lily shouted.
Dumbledore opened his mouth to protest, "Yes, yes we know about the blood wards. Normally I would agree with you about that but in this case it did not work. They may have protected Harry from outside threats wanting to do him harm, but they didn't protect him from those inside the wards hurting Harry." argued James
"I know that now, I assumed that while Harry may not have been loved he would at least been cared for at your sisters. In this case, I thought the risks were minimal compared to the gain of his protection.
"Albus ,why didn't you check up on him in those ten years?"
"Arabella Figg was living nearby and I assumed that she would have informed me of anything I needed to check."
"With that, type of neglect there wouldn't have been any outward signs that anything was wrong."
"I am sorry, I failed you both and Harry in my assumption that family would win out over Petunia's dislike of Magic."
Meanwhile the Weasleys and the teenagers head toward the Kitchen looking for food. They had split into different groups to discuss what was going on.
"So Hairy, what is it like to be with your parents?" asked Hermione
"It's strange, really nice but strange, there is this connection with them that should be there as I basically just met them but It is like I know that they Love me and I love them even if they haven't been there. It is not the same as having people tell me they love me or that they would be proud of me, but to look at them and to know that they do is a strange feeling.
Ron nodded, "I know what you mean, wait till one of the scolds you for doing something stupid. Whenever mom does that to me it seems to be worse when I have disappointed them rather than just made them mad. But I do know that they love me more than anything."
In a different corner the Ginny, the twins and Tonks are discussing how to keep, everyone from killing each other through pranks.
"We have to make sure during the bad parts to keep everyone in the here and now. I know Mom is going to have some hard times when Harry or Ron is in danger. Not to mention the whole second book in general.
Bill and Charlie we also in a different corner discussing something a little different.
Bill looked at Charlie and asked, "Did we let down Percy and Ron all these years? I mean I didn't know that Ron felt that way about us. I can tell he is proud of us but he is clearly upset when he always just another Weasley. And Percy, what happened to him that he believes the ministry over the rest of his family."
"I know what you mean; I don't know how to reach him. I did notice when we were at Hogwarts that he was very rule minded but not to the extent that he is now or was after I left. Maybe it is the same as Ron. To show that he was different than the rest of us he focused on the things he did best and wanted to stand out not for Pranks as the twins but academically and to be the exact opposite as the twins." Charlie looked over at Percy, sitting by himself, ignoring the others. "Maybe we need to remind him that the ministry can change at the drop of a hat, that the smallest mistake can make you a liability. Maybe we should sit with him after the break and just chat with him about his life, no condemnation and no talk about Harry as much as possible."
"Agreed"
In another room, the Professors except Snape, Kingsley, Moody and Amelia Bones were discussing how to get harry away from the Dursleys.
It will simply be a matter of proving that there has been neglects on their part. Said Amelia. We can get potter to sign a statement saying that they kept him unfed, and under the stairs for any time will be enough.
"Even if it doesn't happen anymore?" inquired Flitwick "he isn't in the cupboard anymore, is there enough proof with just his word against theirs.
"All that matters is that it happened at all, and that we can prove it. I wonder if there are still signs that he lived in the cupboard in the house." She asked to no one in particular
Moody replied " it doesn't sound like it would take very much to get the Walrus angry and saying things like beat the stuffing out of him again. That would go a long way in showing how much Harry is not welcome" The rest of their group agreed that it would be the best.
"With the current climate at the ministry we should do are best to follow exact procedure with removing a child from their guardians though. Make sure that everything is in order. We should also make sure Potter's name isn't mentioned until the very end or else it will be twisted to say that he is a little pampered prince just getting mad that he didn't get his own way. We have to make sure it looks like every other abused child before his name is attached to the case." Stated Kingsley and the rest nodded in agreement
In the reading room, away from everyone else Snape sat with Draco,
"I am very disappointed in you. You are not showing yourself to be cunning or stealthy. You were not acting like the proper boy that you were raised to be. Your mother would be ashamed of your behavior. All of the times you lied to me about your interactions with Potter. You are aware you confirmed with me that he was arrogant and just like his father when clearly he was in need of help?! No, matter your opinion on their belief in politics, no child should be left in those sorts of conditions if we can make a difference." Snape told Draco. "Your father is not here, I suggest you use this time to think about what you really believe and not what you are told you have to believe before it is too late. Make sure that you do not regret your choice in the future. It is always a choice."
Draco looked at his feet and turned pink "I was just so surprised and angry that he refused my gesture, how was I supposed to know that Weasley was his first friend, everyone thought he grew up happy and then he refused to acknowledge my offer, I was offended and my anger got away from me."
"How is it going down there?" asked Dez
"Well so far no one has killed anyone… they were not happy about Harry's childhood." Stated Rowena
"That was expected, everyone in the bubble is a decent human being at least they are now, no decent human being should want that done to another."
"Hehehe, I am looking forward to Harry's first potions class. I will be surprised if the others don't rip him to pieces. I am also wondering how Lily will react, I would be very wary of her wand if I were him." Mused Godric
The others chuckled at this
"So everything seems to be working out so far?"
"So far, I am sure it will be more volatile the further into the books we go. We are considering putting a magic damper in the bubble." replied Salazar.
Helga "you might want to keep an I on thinks a bit closer. I can see Dumbledore not wanting to have all his knowledge read out loud."
Thanks for the heads up, I hope everything will go well but Humans are unpredictable sometimes. And Harry has everything happen to him.
The four founders agreed and went back to watch the mortal continue learning about Harry's life