"So, let's get to this," Astra said.

"I want to see how Harry gets out of this," Natalie said.

"Especially considering he shouldn't be in a situation like this," Lily said.

"No child should," Mick said.

"Especially this one," Mia murmured.

Sara could sense that Mia imagined using the Dursleys for Target practice. And she could not really muster up the energy to argue about the ethics.

"So, you're pretty shocked they showed up?" Lena asked.

"I thought I was seeing things," Harry admitted.

"Well, considering you were starving, I can't blame you," Kara said.

"Chapter Three," Gideon read. "The Burrow."

"Ah, home sweet home," George commented.

Ginny and Ron hid their expressions of sorrow from the younger counterparts of their older brothers. Hermione sighed softly.

"Continue," Harry said before the inevitable uncomfortable questions came up.

Harry's gobsmacked reaction with Ron, and Fred and George arriving to liberate him.

"I half thought that I just imagined the entire thing," Harry said. "I was slowly descending into madness."

"I hate the Dursleys," Astra said.

"Doesn't everyone at this point?" Bellatrix asked. "I've barely been exposed to them and they are the worst type of Muggles imaginable. And I have a wicked imagination."

"No kidding," Zari murmured.

Anyone who knew about Bellatrix would have to agree she did have a wicked imagination.

"Starvation really can do a number on someone's head," Kara remarked with a sigh.

Ron asks Harry about what's going on.

"Well, you see there was this neurotic house elf who warned me that I was in danger," Lita said.

"And when I refused to agree with him, it dumped a pudding on the houses of my uncle's prospective business partners," Nora recited.

"And then, the Ministry in their infinite wisdom sent an owl about exposing magic, thus further exposing magic," Junior said while rolling his eyes.

"Not going to let that one go, are you?" Mia asked.

"It's the type of scatterbrained thing anyone would expect from the Ministry," Junior said.

"The more things change," Ron mumbled in disgust.

Ron reminds Harry he's not supposed to use magic out of school, Harry points out the car, and Ron comments it isn't his.

"Really, Weasley, lecturing him?" Malfoy asked. "Who do you think you are? Granger?"

"Hey!" Hermione cried.

"Sorry, but he's got a point," Lita said. "The not supposed to use magic outside of the school sounds like a Hermione thing to say."

"Well, I thought Harry would know better," Ron said. "And he lives in a Muggle home, so they can trace it very easily."

"Can't trace it in a pureblood home," Regulus added. "The Ministry relies on the parents to crack down on it."

"Father never would have even bent a Ministry rule for me, so he kept me under close watch," Junior said. "If I performed magic, it would be a very good reason."

"Was there ever a good reason?" Lena asked.

"Not with him," Junior said.

"And no, it's not fair," Sirius said. "But, that's just how things are. You can't directly trace the person only the general area."

"Lots of purebloods put up a stink when someone tried," Junior added.

"Not surprised," John said.

Ron has arrived to help Harry. And Fred and George are there, so there's no need for magic.

"Ah, the next generation," Peter said.

"There's a few in every generation," Sirius agreed.

"And you four broke the mold in yours," John said.

The three present Marauders took a bow. Lily rolled their eyes.

"Well, these two can redeem themselves for their disgraceful behavior last year," Astra said.

"Yeah, that was the idea," George said.

"Ron didn't have to twist our arm too badly," Fred said. "To help make up for that entire Seeker business."

"Good thing you're here," Kara said. "I don't want to think what would have happened much longer."

They tie a rope around the bars and Harry worries about the Dursleys waking up.

"I was a bundle of nerves," Harry said.

"Yeah, that car had to have made a hell of a racket," Sara said.

"It's a wonder that Dursley didn't pop out of bed at that point, "Zari said.

"And somehow none of the neighbors heard either," Ron said.

"That was lucky," Peter said. "Something like this, it's bound to go wrong. But, I suppose it's worth the risk."

"Yes," Remus said. "Luck was shining on your side that night."

"Hold that thought," Ron murmured.

Astra growled, realizing that they were not home free until Harry was safely out of that house.

Harry and Hedwig watch nervously as the bars are removed from Harry's prison er bedroom.

"Come on,," Astra murmured.

"So much could go wrong," Sirius said much to the agreement of Peter and Remus.

"Almost there," Ruby said anxiously. "Don't let the bars drop."

"That was a worry," George admitted.

"And I was the one who would screw us if I dropped him," Ron said.

Fred and George amble in to get Harry's Hogwarts things. They open the door through lock picking.

"Useful trick to have," Sirius remarked. "Damn useful."

"Comes in handy," Ron said.

"Not as handy as dislocating your thumbs to get out of restraints," Sara said. "But, pretty useful."

"Mmm, hmm!" Mia agreed.

"Wish I knew that sooner," Harry remarked.

"Well, you know now," Mia said.

The twins move down, with Harry warning them about the creaking bottom step.

"Good Harry knows his surroundings," Sara said. "Even then."

"Saved us a bit of trouble getting that heads up," George said.

"Vermin would have woke up sooner and blew the entire plan," John said.

"Stealth is really important," Mia agreed. "Well done."

'Which is a surprise, because you two are the most stealthy people out there," Ginny said.

"Hey, we know when to make a racket and when to keep it on the down-low," Fred protested.

They slid the trunk through the window, with Vernon's coughing ramping up the anxiety.

"Hurry," Kara murmured. "Almost there."

"Hope you got everything," Lily said. "But, knowing how petty Petunia is, you'll never see it again."

"That almost went too smoothly," Zari said.

"Wait for it," Ron said.

Just as Harry is home free, Hedwig's screeching clues Harry in that he might have forgotten something.

"HARRY!" Kara, Nora, Astra, Natalie, Lily and Lita all cried in unison.

"How could you forget your owl?" Regulus asked.

"Not one of my finer moments," Harry admitted.

Vernon smashed his way through the door to get to Harry.

"There he is," Sara said. "The World's most demonic Kool-aid man."

"Pretty much," Harry agreed.

"Run!" Ruby shouted.

Vernon and the Weasleys play tug of war with Harry.

"Oooh, that doesn't look pleasant," Ava said.

"Didn't feel too pleasant," Harry said. "Do I look like Ralph Dibny?"

"Nah," Frost said. "Not even close."

Much to Vernon's frustration, Harry slips from his grip and into the car.

Everyone cheered at Harry's escape.

"Suck it, Walrus Man!" Bellatrix cheered.

The Dursleys look dumbstruck while Harry yells that he'll see them next summer.

The entire group laughed at Harry's sudden and death-defying escape, along with his comment.

"Oooh, the cheek on you," Natalie said. "I wonder where he gets it from."

Lily stuck her tongue out.

"Unfortunately you really will be back next summer," Astra said darkly.

"It won't be as bad," Harry said. "No bars on the windows."

"Those people should be locked up," Mia said.

"Oh, I disagree," Frost said. "They should be put on ice."

"Okay, two more people we've got to keep the time couriers away from," an anxious Ava responded.

Harry lets Hedwig out, while Ron gets the story from Harry about what happened.

"Well, a house elf framed me for underage magic," Nora said. "And my relatives are sociopaths who put bars on my window and a cat flap on my door."

"Standard fare, really," Lita said.

"Only you," Ron said.

"Yes, only me," Harry said. "Would have something so insane happen to me."

Fred and George think there's something a bit fishy about Dobby and asks if anyone hates Harry enough to not want him to return to school.

"Hmm," Kara said. "Let's think about that for a minute."

"Quite a few people," Ginny said. "All of them with a rich Daddy who had a stupid skull tattoo on their forearm."

Talk about Malfoy and his father and Lucius's ties to the Death Eaters.

"It's not what you know, it's who you know," Lena said. "And how much money you have."

"Lucius was good at making evidence disappear," Narcissa said. "And bank accounts swell."

"If only he got caught," Ginny murmured.

"If only," Lita agreed. "But, life's not fair, is it?"

"If it was, we wouldn't have a situation where a twelve year old child needs to be rescued from having bars on his window," Astra said. "And I'm glad you're somewhere else but there."

Harry compares Malfoy to Dudley, making Malfoy sound worse than Dudley.

"And here I thought we were getting along, Potter," Malfoy said. "I've never felt so insulted in my life."

"I never spoiled Draco as much as your cousin," Narcissa said.

"But, he was still quite pompous," Frost said.

Narcissa sighed. No denying her son did have a bit of an attitude.

Harry wonders if he had been a fool to take Dobby seriously.

"Well, it's a weird situation," Nora said.

"Don't know much about house elves," Junior said. "Not your fault, but you didn't have a lot of concrete information overall."

"So, you couldn't have known what to make of Dobby," Regulus added.

Ron explains how he first thought that his family owl Errol collapsed upon delivery.

"You still have that ancient thing?" John asked.

"Not any more," Ron said. "We got a lot of mileage out of him until he passed on."

"Lived quite the life," George stated.

Talking about Percy refusing to lend his owl.

"Yes, the owl that was important enough to get to Percy when he was a prefect," Ron said. "But, not important enough to get your son a wand for."

"You would think he would remember that," Kara said.

"Well, Percy always lived in his own world," Ginny remarked.

The Weasleys hope they can get the car back before their mother notices.

Sara, Ruby, and Mia all broke out into fits of laughter.

"You're actually serious?" Ruby asked. "If she's anything like my mother, she knew the second she snuck out."

"It's true," Sam said to her daughter. "Ruby always thought she was being sneaky."

"Never got one past Mom," Ruby said.

"I might have gotten away with sneaking out once, maybe twice," Sara said.

"Not even that," Mia said. "Granted, when your mother has the capability to track your every move, even if you had the slightest bit of tech on you, it's possible."

"What were you thinking?" Zari asked.

"We thought we could get away with it," George said.

Fred, George, and Ron explain what Mr. Weasley does for a living.

"Well ,there's a job that keeps getting more complex," Nora said.

"Door knobs and keys cause enough trouble," Ginny said.

"Social media really makes it a headache," Hermione said.

"I feel like I should be attacked," Zari said. "But, you're right."

"I suppose that's why Harry going public kind of went under the radar, "Kara said. "Far more complicated things to work on."

"You're right," Harry said.

They remark that Mr. Weasley would have to put himself under arrest if he raids his house.

"Well, typical politician," Nora joked.

"HEY!" the four Weasleys shouted.

"But, we can't deny he is a bit sneaky," George admitted.

"Man after our own hearts," Fred said.

They close in on the Burrow.

"I was glad to be away from the Dursleys," Harry said. "At least for a little bit."

"Me too," Astra said.

"If there was any justice, you would never step foot back in that place ever again," Lily said.

"If only," Sara said with a sigh.

"A month away and Harry's back home," Lita said.

Harry's first view of the Burrow.

"Okay, it does have its charm," Sirius said.

"It really did," Ginny agreed.

"It was home," Ron said.

"And home is not just some place where you hang your hat," Kara said.

Harry remarking it's wonderful.

"Thanks," Ron said. "We really were a bit nervous…"

"You shouldn't have been," Harry said. "You know what I just escaped."

Ron answered with a grim nod. He did indeed.

Fred offers his masterful plan to fool Mrs. Weasley. Namely telling her that Harry just happened to turn up in the middle of the night.

"I admire your moxie, kid," Sara said.

"But, I question just how much you know your mother," Sirius said. "Even I wouldn't try something like that."

"Your plan has more holes than a swiss cheese factory," Ginny commented.

Fred and George just shrugged, much to Harry's amusement.

Molly Weasley arrives. Harry compares her to a saber-toothed tiger.

"Apt," Ginny said with a chuckle.

"He does have a way with words," Zari said.

"It's almost too on point," Hermione said, remembering her description from the first year.

Molly lets her sons have it for taking the car and not leaving a note.

"So, would you have been off the hook if you left a note?" Sara asked.

"I'm guessing no," Mia said.

"I know we wouldn't be," Ron said.

"She knew it was gone when you left," Ruby said.

"Well, yes," Ron said.

"Of course she did," Mia said.

Molly screams and turns her attention to Harry who backs off.

"The apprehensive flinch of an abused child," Sara said without a trace of humor in her voice.

"Surely, she couldn't blame you for this?" Ruby asked.

"She better not," Lily murmured.

Lily had mixed feelings about Molly Weasley, given the few times they crossed paths. She would keep an open mind for her son's sake. Nice enough woman, providing you did not disagree with her ideology on anything.

Molly invites Harry in and Harry gets his first look at the inside of the Burrow.

"Quite the first impression," Nora said.

"Quite," Harry said. "It was magical."

"It really was," Ginny said.

"I keep noticing a past tense," Astra said.

"We'll get there when we get there," Ginny said.

Fred and George looked at the older counterparts for their younger siblings rather curiously. Ava noticed the apprehension on the faces of Ron and Ginny.

"Continue, please," Ava said.

Molly rambles about what the children got up to, and assures Harry she does not blame him.

"She better not," Astra said.

"She didn't," Ginny said.

"No one could given the circumstances," Kara said.

"I'm just glad to get something to eat that wasn't almost expired," Harry said.

"Damn Dursleys," Natalie, Lily, and Astra murmured.

"Dumbledore's going to pay for this," Lily said. "And anyone else who had a hand of keeping my son here."

"We'll help," Peter said.

"All of us," Sirius said.

Here, John shifted.

Talking about how she and Arthur would have picked Harry up if she had not heard from him by Friday.

"When was your birthday?" Astra asked. "I mean what day."

"Think it was a Friday," Harry said.

"It might have been too late," Natalie said.

"Maybe, but don't count this stubborn bastard out," John said. "He's been through the ringer."

"Unfortunately, for better or for worse," Kara said. "They would have let you starve for a week."

"After they didn't hear from you for a month," Zari said. "How doesn't that raise a red flag?"

"Unfortunately, Mum and Dad never dreamed anyone would be mistreated as Harry," Ron said. "Although, we should have seen the signs."

"People don't want to see the signs," Kara said seriously. "Because, they don't want to believe family members can be cruel to each other."

"Even if most children are victimized by someone they know," Sam chimed in.

"Pretty much," Kara agreed.

The Twins and Ron try and feebly protest, complete with a comment about how they were starving Harry.

"Is this going to go without a reaction?" Astra asked.

"Just flew over her head, didn't it?" Ruby asked. "Did they find out about the bars?"

"Well, Dad discovered them," George said. "We told him that…we told him where we got them."

"They weren't pleased," Fred said. "They talked to Dumbledore about it."

"Oh, of course they did," Lily murmured.

"Dumbledore told them he would have a talk with the Dursleys," Ginny said.

"Well, it wasn't as bad after that?" Hermione asked.

"Yes, it wasn't as bad," Harry said. "But, I still felt hated being there. But, at least I was safe, right, Hermione?"

Hermione flinched underneath Harry's eyes. To be honest, the entire bars on the window thing rattled her slightly. It was the first crack in her unflinching doubt that Dumbledore ultimately did the right thign to keep them all alive.

Ginny makes her grand debut and runs back up the stairs with a squeak the moment she caught sight of Harry.

"Oh, I'm sorry," Ginny grumbled.

"Don't be," Harry said.

"I…I was star struck and tongue tied," Ginny responded. "And I had been hearing storys about you since there were stories to tell about you."

"And all of those stories were bullshit, right?" Sara asked.

"Yes, a steaming load," Ginny said.

"Real Harry is more amazing," Kara said.

"I…I can't argue," Ginny said. "But, I grew up in love with a lie. A person who didn't exist. And to be honest, I had no idea what love was."

"We all had some skewed ideas on love when we were younger," Sara said. "I wouldn't worry about it."

Fred tries to get up to bed. Molly doesn't want any of it. She tasks her three youngest sons to de-gnome the garden..

"Well, that sounds like fun," Sirius said.

"No proper wizarding house has gnomes," Regulus said.

"Which is a pity," Bellatrix said. "Hurling those little bastards into orbit is a good time."

"Oh, it has its charm," Ginny said. "Especially when you make a game out of it."

Harry wants to help, because he's never seen a de-gnoming.

"It's the little things," Astra said.

"They make life worth living," Harry agreed.

Molly gets a book by Gilderoy Lockhart.

Needless to say, this got more than a few disgusted reactions.

"Not that charlatan," John said. "The only thing he's an expert on is his own glamor shots."

"He's in Ravenclaw," Junior said. "A couple of years behind me."

"Our condolences," Bellatrix said.

"Thanks, Bella," Junior said. "I can't believe anyone would see him as an expert i anything other than whitening his teeth."

"Just wait," Lita said darkly.

Harry gets his first look at Lockhart on the cover of his book who beams at them all.

The disgust towards Lockhart ramped up.

"Oh, he's the fakest bit of fake that ever faked," Zari groaned. "And I've been on a Reality Show."

"Not to mention the Dursleys and their little dinner party," Sara said.

"That too," Zari agreed.

"How could anyone be charmed by such an obvious phony?" Natalie asked. "You have to be as dense as a post to fall for his charms."

Hermione shifted anxiously. Oh, she was not looking forward to relieving her crush on Lockhart.

"You're going to meet him later," Astra said.

Harry flashed Astra a smile which answered her question.

"Great."

Molly gushes about Lockhart, and Fred remarks she fancies him, much to Molly's chagrin.

"She does seem pretty smitten," Zari said.

"Just a little bit," Lena agreed.

"Oh, I thought Molly Weasley would be a little bit smarter than that," John said.

"Unfortunately, we all have our blind spots," Harry said. "And if someone puts themselves as someone of authority, then people will flock to them."

"And a pretty smile moves the world," Lily said.

"That too," Harry agreed.

Molly warns them of consequences if there's a single gnome out there

"To be fair, that book was the most accurate of Lockhart's," Ron said.

"Citations and everything," Ginny agreed. "It's just a shame it had his mug plastered all over it."

"Your mother likes to keep control of her house," Lena said. "Reminds me a bit of my stepmother. But just a bit."

"Nice enough woman," Peter said. "Wouldn't want to spend too much time living under her roof."

"Reminds you of your dear mother?" Sirius asked.

"A little bit too much," Peter said.

"What's your mother like?" Harry asked.

Harry figured he would try to be cordial to Wormtail, because he was not the same Wormtail who betrayed his parents to Voldemort. Not yet anyway.

"Oh, if you combined Petunia Dursley and Molly Weasley, you would get a pretty close approximation," Peter said.

"How does something like that work?" Lita asked.

"No, not even putting that image in my head," Sara said.

Harry and Ron compare Muggle garden gnomes and wizard garden gnomes.

"My father tried to dress wizarding gnomes up like Muggle gnomes one time," Nora said.

"Oooh, how did that end up?" Sirius asked curiously.

"Not well, it got him bitten, several times," Nora said. "Mom gave him an earful for that."

"What did your father do?" Ruby asked.

"Oh, a little bit of this and that," Nora said. "He loved a good monologue."

"So, he was a super villain?" Ruby asked.

"What gave you that idea?" Nora asked.

"Because, they never shut up," Kara said.

Mia, Frost, and Sara all flashed a thumbs up at that. Nora shrugged. It was true.

Harry gets his first look at a Wizarding Garden Gnome.

"Ugly little buggers," Bellatrix said. "Which makes it so much easier to throw them."

"Sounds like fun," Astra said. "Wish I could do it."

"Well, we'll find a garden and you can," Harry said.

"Sounds like a nice group bonding exercise," Ava said.

"The Legends go DeGnoming," Sara said.

"I'd watch that one," Peter said with a chuckle.

"I'll prep the Iodine," Gideon said dryly.

The gnomes start hurling. Harry takes pity on them. That's a mistake. He sends one rectify this mistake.

"Never give them an inch," Nora said. "Never give them an inch."

"Oh, I wish I was there," Astra said.

"Me too," Ruby said.

"It loses its charm after the first dozen or so times," Ron said.

"Still, it would be fun for a spell," Lita said.

"We're really going to have to do that team building exercise," Ava said.

The gnomes go flying and fleeing. But, they'll be back. Because Arthur Weasley is a softie at heart.

"They can be kind of amusing," Nora said.

"In their own way," Lena agreed.

Speaking of which, Arthur arrives home.

"Oooh, someone is going to get it," Ruby sang.

"I'm pretty sure Arthur wouldn't lecture Ron and the twins," Sam said.

"Actually, I was referring to Arthur," Ruby said.

"Girl has a point," Lena said.

"Yeah, Molly isn't going to be pleased," Sirius said. "Arthur shouldn't have made it so easy for them to fly that car. Although, I'm glad that he did."

"Damn straight," Lily said.

"And were you two old enough to drive?" Ava asked.

"Actually, scratch that, how did you learn to drive?" Zari asked.

"Trade secret," George said.

"Don't ask any questions, they tell no lies," Ginny said.

Arthur talks about all of the raids tonight, mentioning Mundungus Fletcher by name.

"Ah, Dung," George said.

"Appropriately named, that one," Fred added.

"Ugh, that worm," John said.

"I remember when I..the last time I went to your house," Harry said. "Bastard was passed out on the floor."

"Why am I not surprised?" Hermione tutted disapprovingly.

"He's a conniving little con-artist," Bellatrix said.

"Good for a deal, providing you keep a close eye on him," Sirius said.

"Knows all of the crooks," Peter said.

"Well he would have to, he is a big one," Mick said.

Arthur talks about the extremely odd ferrets.

"Family reunion, Malfoy?" Ron asked.

"Shut it, Weasel," Malfoy said.

"This Ferret thing has some meaning."

Frost and Harry both laughed.

"Harry told me," Frost said. "And he got you that pet ferret."

"Well, Steve is very loyal, thanks," Malfoy said.

"He would be to his own kind," Ginny quipped.

Narcissa shook her head. As much as it displeased her that an adult wizard transfigured her then underaged son into a ferret, Draco's hubris brought it upon herself.

Shrinking keys and what they were used to.

"So, that's where my house keys keep going," Sam said.

"Mine too," Sara agreed.

"Are you sure you don't just keep misplacing them?" Kara asked.

"Always the last place you look," Sirius said.

"Obviously, because one normally stops looking after they find something," Junior said.

"Thank you, Professor Crouch," Remus said.

"Someday, I just might be," Junior said.

Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny all hid their knowing smiles.

"I think your father's about due for an arse chewing," Astra said to Ginny.

"I'm thinking you're right," Ginny said.

Molly confronts her husband about the car. Arthur explains about the laws, and Molly accuses him of purposely writing a loophole into the law.

"Well, she's got a point," Kara said.

"Pretty crafty," Sirius said.

"After all, if you don't intend to use it you can't get in trouble," Lita said.

"Guy really is amazing," Mick said.

"We don't give Dad enough credit," George said.

"He loophole abuses with the best of them," Fred said.

"Guess that's where we learned it from," George said.

Molly explains about Harry arriving this morning in the flying car. And Arthur is momentarily confused. Until he realizes who he's meeting.

The entire group laughed.

"And here the penny drops," Nora said.

"I'm glad he didn't stare like a gawking idiot at the scar," Harry said.

"Probably figured you get enough of that at school," Astra said.

"He did," Ron confirmed. "Dad was good at keeping a level head."

There had been a bit of sorrow in Ron's voice that had been picked up.

Arthur finds out about the car. He wants to know how it went, before backtracking underneath his wife's gaze.

"Like a kid who got caught with a hand in a cookie jar," Sara said with a chuckle.

"That's the Arthur Weasley I know," Sirius said.

"Guy's like a big kid at heart," Kara said.

"Yes," Ron agreed.

"Too bad Mrs. Weasley likes to suck the fun out of everything," Peter murmured.

Ron ushers Harry out of there to his bedroom before the Weasley parents can have a bit of a heated discussion.

"Nice save," Lena said.

"It's always awkward watching someone else's parents have a fight," Ruby said

"Well, not necessarily a fight," Harry said. "Just a discussion about how everything went down."

"With Molly discussing everything a bit louder than Arthur," Sara said.

"So, business as usual for the Weasleys," Kara commented.

Ginny watches Harry from afar.

"Sorry," Ginny said.

"It's the past," Harry said.

"I'm not coming off the best," Ginny said.

"To be eleven again," Kara said wistfully.

"I know," Sara said. "I'm glad I passed those awkward days."

Ron is surprised Ginny is so shy. She normally does not shut up.

"I can't be mad, because he's right," Ginny said with a sigh.

Harry enters Ron's vibrantly orange room decked out with Chudley Cannon's merchandise.

"That's a bit too much orange for my liking," Lita said.

"It's an adjustment," Harry admitted.

"Sorry," Ron said.

"No, it's your thing," Harry said.

"Oooh, I admire your loyalty," Regulus said. "I just don't think too highly of your choice of Quidditch teams."

"We'll see," Sirius said. "They could surprise you."

We see Ron's comic book collection, featuring Martin Miggs the Mad Muggle.

"The original was written by an actual Muggleborn," Nora said. "And the best."

"Those later ones weren't as good," Astra said.

"Dad had the originals," Ron said. "They were amazing."

"A lot of purebloods didn't get their humor," Sirius said.

"To be fair a lot of Muggleborns didn't either," Natalie said.

"I…they were okay," Lily said.

"Just not your cup of tea?" Lena asked.

"They're an acquired taste," Astra said. "But, you can binge read them all over a few days."

"I remember reading them at your house," Harry said. "They were addictive."

"If you have the original prints, you could make a fortune," Nora added. "Dad sought them out high and low."

"James might have them," Sirius said. "We're going to have to ask when he gets out."

"We will," Harry agreed.

Ron apologizes about his room, not as big as the one Harry lived in at the Dursleys.

"There are more important things than the size of a room," Lily said.

"Still bigger than my old room," Harry said.

"That wasn't a room," Astra said. "That was an abomination."

"And the complete lack of bars on the windows is an upgrade," Lita said.

Everyone who remembered what the Dursleys did scowled. Which was most of the room because they would not forget such a thing.

Harry remarks it's the best house he was in. Ron is embarrassed.

"Bit thick with the flattery," Peter said with a chuckle.

"It was, from what I could remember," Harry said.

"Not sure if you were damning me with faint praise or not," Ron said.

"Take the compliment," Sara said. "So, there's that chapter."

"Left it in a much better place than the last chapter," Remus said. "Not sure how that could have gotten any worse."

"Dursleys find a way somehow," Lily said. "I can't believe them."

"None of us can believe people like this exist," Kara said.

"Tell me about it," Astra said.

"Imagine living with them," Harry said.

No one in the room did want to imagine such a thing.

"No thank you," Zari said. "I really respect you even more for going out of this mostly intact."

"Not sure if I am sometimes," Harry said.

"What doesn't kill you makes you stronger," Lena said.

"And there's a lot that should have killed me," Harry said.

"Mmm, but we're glad it didn't," Kara said. "All of us."

Astra and Kara scooted closer to Harry and engulfed him in a three way hug.

"At least we don't have to deal with them until the end of the book," Lily said.

"Thankfully," Natalie said. "Next chapter?"

"Please!" Bellatrix piped up cheerfully.

"It's almost like you're excited about this, Trixie," Regulus said.

"Oooh, maybe I am a little bit," Bellatrix said.

"Let's go then," Sara said with a light chuckle.

The group braced themselves for the next chapter.

To Be Continued.