Sorry this is taking a bit. I've been planning a trip to Germany. There's some family in that direction and we've been planning the trip for a bit now.

I'm not one to make threats if people don't review, but it's almost a known fact that people like to hear about their work, and will end up working harder to imrove or make the story better. Ie: if you review, chapters will probably come quicker! So no pressure or anything! ;)

Now, I'll always appreciate the people that do review and I want to say sorry for not acknowledging the reviews for chapter 3 in the last update.

I want to thank Gryffin's love, Irishfighter, a lovely anonymous person, patronuspotter86, and summersgirl2526 for your comments and approval of chapter 3, and summersgirl2526's praise of chapter 4.

Le Diablo Blanc2: Glad you like it. Kaede . . . she's a fun character. Draco? Sorry, but no cigar. Ron and Hermione being jealous also sparked a bit for the end of the story, so danke! (Thanks in German . . . I can't believe I'm going!!!)

SOOooooOOOoooo . . . story . . .

Chapter 5

When the last of the memories were over, Dumbledore turned to talk to the Order again but was interrupted by the little four-year-old. "Escuse me, Mr. Dumblesir," Annah said, gaining the attention of the entire table. Before Rachael could silence her again, the little girl said with all of the innocence of her age, "We saw Harry before."

Dumbledore smiled down at her, "When was that?"

"I don't know." Annah shrugged, swinging her legs under her. "But it was raining and Daddy was driving to the big city. There was Harry and Ben and Katie on the side of the road. They came into the car with us. Harry had lots an' lots of boo-boo's. Mummy and Ben fixed them."

Rachael looked up to Dumbledore with a shocked look in her eyes. "That's right!" She said, "We were driving and Annah pointed to the side where three kids were hitchhiking. We usually don't pick up hitchhikers, but Annah talked us into it. There was the boy – he must have been Harry Potter – and two girls. One was Ben, who had this pretty auburn hair and eyes just like yours, Professor. The other girl was Kaede – a Japanese name. She was tall with long blonde hair. Harry wouldn't sit back and buckle and when asked why, he said it would hurt. He took off his shirt and he had lashes all over him. I passed back a few antibiotics and pain salves that Ben put on him – though he didn't want anything that would prevent scarring. The girls seemed to understand why." Rachael paused, collecting her thoughts. "David asked what happened and Harry said that he'd run from his Aunt and Uncle's."

"Can you remember where you dropped them off?" Dumbledore asked. When David nodded, Dumbledore removed the image and put it in the pensive.

"That's only about a block from the Leaky Cauldron!" Tonks cried out.

Dumbledore smiled grimly, "We have our heading, then."

---------------------------------------------------------

The Snape residence, Harry found, had the same feeling as the Burrow did. It had a relaxed atmosphere and a feeling of love almost embedded in the walls. The entire apartment building – which only had two levels – was almost one big family. Almost all the doors were propped open and children ran from one apartment to the next while mothers talked between doorways.

Harry spotted Andy's mum almost immediately. The woman had sharp eyes and sweet smile, which was an odd combination but worked for her. She had given Andy his dark brown, curly hair and warm hazel eyes. When they arrived, she looked around with a smile geared towards Uncle Matt, shooting a curious gaze at Harry and the girls.

"There you boys are." She looked from Andy to the three behind him. "Who are your friends?"

"This is Ben, Aeda, and . . ." Andy trailed off, not sure how to introduce Harry yet again.

Harry sized her up for a moment before putting out his hand, "I'm Harry Potter, though I'm currently going under the alias of Rhett P. Aryor." Harry looked up to see that Uncle Matt didn't look surprised.

Andy's mum smiled and shook his hand. Surprisingly, her eyes didn't do the customary flick to his forehead. "Yes, you have Lily's eyes." She smiled at he look of shock on Harry's face. "My name's Selena Penley, but you can call me Mum or Mum Lena. That goes for all of you." The teens nodded.

Harry, however, frowned at her name. "Your last name isn't Snape?" Harry asked before blushing when he realized he was probably out of place. "Sorry -"

"No, that's fine." Mum Lena waved it off, "I get that question a lot. I was engaged to Anthony's father, so I only saw fit to give him his father's last name." She turned back to Andy, "Now you, young man, were supposed to finish the dishes before you went skating. Get inside and finish it this instant and I'll forget about thinking of taking your drums away." Andy quickly ran into the open apartment door and Kaede followed curiously.

Uncle Matt finally spoke with Mum Lena, "Hey Lena." He smiled, "Rhett, Ben and Kaede are homeless. They're alone at a hotel right now but I was hoping you could take the girls at least. Rhett can stay in my spare room."

Mum Lena shot a worried look to Ben and Harry, who were standing nervously. "Yeah, as long as the girls won't mind sharing a room. I can conjure a second bed." Harry sent a look at the people near them, afraid someone had heard Mum Lena's terminology. "Don't worry, Rhett," Mum Lena smiled, "Everyone in here is either magical or knows about it. There's a few muggles with magical kids, a few plain muggles, a family of squibs live downstairs and a handful of plain magical families."

Ben smiled, "Really? Are there any kids our age?"

"Bored with us already, Ben?" Harry smirked.

Ben shoved him in the shoulder. "Not what I meant."

Mum Lena smiled, "James Malfoy is the only one your age – and he lives downstairs. Most of them are either much younger or in Uni." She paused, "Are you all right, Rhett?"

Harry had started coughing at the name Malfoy. "Sorry," Harry got control of his breathing, "but did you just say Malfoy?"

"Yes, he lives with his mother." Mum Lena replied.

Andy came out at that moment and dragged Harry and the girls away, saying "We're going to the garage, Mum!"

They made a pit stop on the first floor when Andy poked his head into another open door. "Ms. Beth?" Andy called out, "Ms. Beth, is Jamie here?" A woman with golden blonde hair stepped around the corner. She was in her very early thirties, probably 31 or 32 at the most. She had a square face and a soft smile that lit up the room. She wasn't overly tall, but she had some wide curves that were shown off with her jean skirt, halter top and heals.

"Hello Andy." She said smiling, "No, I'm sorry, Jamie isn't here. He ran down to the music shop around the corner if you'd like to go find him."

"Yeah, thanks Ms. Beth." Andy waved once more and led the other three out of the apartment complex. Pulling out a mobile phone, he quickly called his mother to explain the change of plans.

"Ms. Beth seems really nice." Ben commented.

"Yeah, she's quiet, too." Kaede added.

Andy nodded, "She is. Not only that, but she had a horrible self-esteem. She doesn't date because she doesn't believe she's worth it. She works about three jobs, and one of them striping."

Ben and Kaede shot him a sharp look and Andy nodded. "Ms. Beth wasn't raised too well, I think. The other mum's in the apartments try to support her, but it doesn't help much. She was only fifteen when Jamie was born, and her parents dumped her on the spot."

"Really?" Harry frowned, "That sounds bad. Is Ms. Beth magical?"

"Yes, she's a half-blood from the U.S. The States have day schools, so she came home every night and all. She dropped out when she had Jamie and moved over here. Mum and Ms. Beth were pregnant at the same time so they helped each other out. Jamie and I do tutoring together and our Mum's take turns teaching."

"Wow, you've known him that long?" Kaede asked.

Andy grinned, "Yep, since we were in nappies."

Ben and Kaede laughed at the image of Andy in nappies while Andy and Harry chuckled at the girls' antics. Soon, the four of them almost collapsed through the doorway of the music store down the road. The only two people inside looked up in question.

Harry looked up to finally get a good look at James Malfoy. James had shaggy bleach-blonde hair that was cut in an almost surfer-boy haircut and fell into his cool grey/blue eyes. He wore a pair of loose jeans, a normal t-shirt and a pair of skateboard shoes. He was standing on one side of the shop, his hand on a shelf with blank tracks and blank music sheets.

"What are you laughing about?" He asked, walking over and putting his purchases so far on the counter. Andy and Jamie exchanged a complicated hand shake while Andy replied.

"I'm not sure anymore, mate." Andy chuckled. "What are you getting in here?"

Jamie shrugged, "Just a few blank tracks and some demo's, I guess. Why, are you getting something too?"

Andy turned from Kaede, who was scanning over keyboards, to Ben, who was inspecting guitar amps. "I'm not sure." Andy then raised his voice so the girls could hear him. "Are we buying anything?"

"We couldn't afford any of this!" Ben cried.

"It's much too expensive." Kaede agreed.

"Not for me." Harry said absently, running his hand over a row of guitars. The girls both turned and protested quite loudly. "I have a couple thousand pounds on a card and I have nothing better to do with it." The girls finally agreed and ran through the shop, dropping what they needed on the counter. Harry took the time to introduce himself as both Harry Potter and Rhett Aryor and give Jamie Ben and Kaede's background stories.

"Want a new drum set, Andy?" Harry asked casually.

"What?" Andy asked, "Are you out of your bloody mind? First a guitar and keyboard, and now a drum set? This costs a bit much, mate."

"I've got a bit much, mate." Harry replied in a voice that wouldn't accept no for an answer. "I was also planning on getting Jamie whatever it is that he uses those blank track things with."

"I sound board!" Andy was about to hyperventilate and the clerk was about to kiss him with joy. Jamie had a huge grin on his face.

"You're seriously going to get me one? A good one? The one I have right now is a bit trashed." Jamie said.

Harry walked up to the clerk and said, "I'd like the best set of drums you have – Andy can pick out the design – and the newest sound board thing with everything needed. I also want two guitars – let Ben pick out styles and the newest keyboard." The guy was frozen in shock. "Please?" The guy quickly went to fill the order.

"Why are you getting two guitars?" Ben asked, as the guy began to ring up the purchases off of a sheet with bar codes. "I only need one."

"I want you to teach me to play." Harry responded casually, leaning on the counter and handing his card over to the cashier when asked for it. "You will teach me, right?" He asked, unsure if it was all right for him to just assume things.

Ben smiled, "Of course I will. This'll be fun. We could probably start a band or something. Can any of you sing?"

Andy shrugged, "Yeah, I guess."

"A bit," Jamie replied

"Not much, I haven't taken lessons in forever." Kaede said, "One of my foster parents wanted me to learn."

Harry looked at her blankly, "I have no bloody idea."

---------------------------------------------

The next day, Harry sat down in his bedroom in Uncle Matt's apartment. The five of them had shrunk the instruments when the cashier wasn't watching and re-sized it in the two-car garage the apartment complex owned, though no one actually parked their cars there.

Harry, Ben, and Kaede ran back to the Leaky Cauldron to check out and get their bags. The girls had settled into Andy's house fine and Harry got his own room in Uncle Matt's apartment. He'd unpacked his school trunk for the first time in his life. He'd stacked books on his desk and had his personal items scattered about the room.

It was about nine thirty at night and Harry was wide awake. His thoughts were crazy, unsure, and all about one person: Ben. Did she like him? Did he like her? Why was she so easy to talk to? Why did his stomach tie in knots when she was around?

Harry turned on a lamp, sat at his desk and pulled a sheet of paper towards him. He thought for a few moments before his hand rushed across the paper and a tune floated through his head.

Watch my life pass me by in the rear-view mirror

Pictures frozen in time, are becoming clearer

I don't want to waste another day

Stuck in the shadow of my mistakes, yeah

Cause I want you, and I feel you

Crawling underneath my skin

Like a hunger, like a burning . . .

So . . . do I get a Grammy?