Disclaimer: None of this is mine. I just built up on the characters created by J.K. Rowling to create this AU. :D

A/N:I know that I have been updating really quickly for now (at least I think I have) but please note that I always won't be able to update this quickly. :) And... Voila! The first part of this chapter has been edited by Love-Pink26! :D

Chapter 2:Orphan's Tale

"Ermm... Mum? I think they've gotten my name wrong or something!" Harry laughed out loud.

"What do you mean Harry, dear? Oh, dear. Arthur! Look at this!" his mother stammered, visibly paling. Their father grabbed the letter from his wife's hands, paling as well and said, under his breath, "I think it's time Molly. It would only have lasted till the evening anyway. It's better now."

"Do you really think so Arthur?" she said hesitantly to her husband. Arthur nodded his head solemnly.

"Sit down you lot. We have something to tell you all – except Bill, Charlie and Percy that is." their mother instructed them. Seeing the expression on her face, they all complied.

"Harry, dear, you know that we both love you, don't you? We have cared for you in every way possible. We have given you the best that we can give. We-"

"Errr... Mum? Could you just get to the point?" the five younger siblings of the Weasley family exclaimed in near unison.

"You lot keep quiet. This is a big announcement that I'm about to make." She said sternly. "All right, all right!" She added seeing the looks on their faces. "The main point is: Harry is not a Weasley. He is a Potter. We adopted him when his parents were killed."

A dead silence filled the room. Nobody moved or spoke. Then suddenly the twins burst out laughing, "You mean to say that Harry – our Harry – is the Boy-Who-Lived? This is hilarious!"

She glanced warningly at the twins before turning a soft look on Harry. "Believe me Harry, we didn't tell you until now because we thought you were too young. We were going to announce it this evening."

Harry still had an unreadable expression on his face as he listened to his 'parents' story of how his birth parents were killed by Voldemort – the most evil wizard who had ever existed –whom they referred to as He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named. How he had failed in killing Harry, and had been vanquished at the hands of a one year old boy. How in the dead of the night Hagrid,whom both Ron and Harry knew very well, had brought Harry to Dumbledore who then asked the Weasley's to take him in.

Harry was dumbstruck. To find out that the person he had considered to be his mother was not really his actual mother, and the father who had taught him everything he knew and whom he had learnt to love and respect was not his real father was a big thing to take in. His mind was whirring away as he blinked back tears that had sprung to his eyes. When he had learned of the terrible fate that had befallen his parents, he was – in short – stunned. He stared at the wall in front of him as the rest of the Weasley's stared at him, awestruck and bewildered that the boy that they had believed to be their brother was in fact a celebrity of the Wizarding world.

The parents of seven children, or perhaps eight, were unsure of what to say. They loved Harry as much as they loved any of the other children but were unsure as to how he would take to this new information. They knew that one day they would have to tell him and face the consequences, but they had not expected him to be as silent or dumbstruck as he was. They had expected him to be mad at them for not telling him sooner or to deny the entire thing completely, but surely not this.

Images were flooding Harry's mind. His first accidental magic in the hands of his 'father', his 'mother' healing a wound on his leg, his 'brothers' sneaking out of the house at night together, his 'parents' reprimanding them when they were caught. Truly, they were his parents and nothing could change that.

Suddenly running forward, Harry engulfed Molly Weasley in a bone-crushing hug. Standing on his tip-toes, he whispered in her ear, "I love you Mum."

After many tears, hugs and kisses Harry ran out of the house. He needed time to think so he mounted his broom and soared high into the air. Leaving all else behind, he pondered about everything that had happened. His biological parents were dead and he had no living relatives who could have adopted him. He also had no brothers or sisters. He was truly and utterly an orphan.

"No you're not Harry." Bill's voice broke through his thoughts. "I know what you're thinking and you're not an orphan. We love you and always will, no matter what. So get down here. The guests are coming!"

I do have a family, Harry thought with a smile, tears flowing freely down his face. I really do.

As the cake floated into the living-room, all the guests gasped. It was a beautiful replica of Harry's scar done in gold. Now that everyone including Hagrid, Professor Dumbledore and Professor McGonagall knew that Harry had discovered his life story, having been taken aside and confided in, they all understood the significance of a scar on his eleventh birthday.

After all of the guests sung "Happy Birthday", Harry with the help of his mother cut the cake and served it to everyone. When Hagrid was served his piece, the cake dissolved from his tears as Harry thanked him for everything. They replaced his piece of cake with a drier one and the party guests relaxed as small conversations broke out everywhere.

"Whoa! Whoa! Hold on everyone! You can't start talking! Don't you know what has to happen now?" Harry suddenly asked as they all glanced around with confused and blank faces. "We open my presents of course! Did you think that I would have endured all those hugs and songs for anything else?"

The room burst into laughter and followed Harry to the corner where the gifts were kept.

"Open mine, first Harry! It's the one wrapped in blue." Ron shouted.

Taking the small package off the top of the pile, he ripped open the wrapping and pulled out a set of Chocolate Frog cards that would have taken a long time to collect. Even one of the rarest cards, Erk the Irksome 650-730 A.D., was there.

"Wow Ron! Thanks!" he said putting it aside and opening the rest of the presents as Ron looked pleased with himself. Overall, all his presents were satisfactory. He received a broom servicing kit from his parents, a pack of sweets from Fred and George, a book called "Dragons and their Powers" from Charlie and another book from Bill entitled, "Curses: Get to Know Them."

At the bottom of the pile were three more presents obviously from the three guests. Reaching for the largest package, which had to be from Hagrid, he uncovered a beautiful cage with a snowy white owl.

"Wow Hagrid!" Harry looked up at him, grinning.

Wiping his eyes, Hagrid muttered, "'twas nothing"

He smiled as he opened his second to last present, a book called "Mastering your Magical Powers" from Professor McGonagall. He gazed at the last present which had to be from his future Headmaster. The package turned out to be flexible and easy to lift and Harry, thinking it was probably a jumper or something similar, opened it to reveal a silvery looking cloth that flowed in to his hands. He stared in awe as his hands disappeared.

"Merlin's pants! That's an invisibility cloak! Wicked!" Ron exclaimed his eyes wide with excitement and anticipation of all the things that could be done with such a tool in their hands. "Ron! Don't swear!" his mother reprimanded as Harry looked up to his Professor's eyes which were twinkling a rather bright blue. "It was your father's, Harry. I thought that it would be best if you could have it, although... it will up to your mother to allow you to bring it to Hogwarts."

"Thank you so much Professor!" Harry said as he ran got up from his place on the floor and gave the surprised old man a hug around the waist. It was then that he understood that receiving a personal belonging of a father he never had known had existed to that very day was a very emotional combination. Dumbledore patted his head and said, "Now, now Harry. Calm down." Extracting himself from the old man, Harry turned around to his mother and gave his mother his most innocent looking puppy-face that he knew his mother couldn't ignore – especially on his birthday.

"No! No way! I'm not going to let you -"

She weakened under Harry's look. "All right! Fine! But if I hear of either one of you getting in trouble roaming the castle after hours wearing that cloak..." She let the threat hang in the air but was encompassed in a bear hug from Harry. "Thanks Mum!"

He didn't notice the single tear flowing down her face and falling in to his hair.

It was later that night that Harry remembered the letter that he had gotten in the morning and wondered what books and things he would have to get for his first year at Hogwarts. This was also only when he saw the letter placed on his bedside table as he was about to go to sleep. Grabbing for the letter and calling out for his bedside light, he sliced open the letter cover. Holding it to the light, he read the first paper that fell into his hand from the cover.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

UNIFORM

First-year students will require:

1. Three sets of plain work robes (black)

2. One plain pointed hat (black) for day wear

3. One pair of protective gloves (dragon hide or similar)

4. One winter cloak (black, silver fastenings)

Please note that all pupils' clothes should carry name tags

COURSE BOOKS

All students should have a copy of each of the following:

The Standard Book of Spells (Grade 1) by Miranda Goshawk

A History of Magic by Bathilda Bagshot

Magical Theory by Adalbert Waffling

A Beginners' Guide to Transfiguration by Emetic Switch

One Thousand Magical Herbs and Fungi by Phyllida Spore

Magical Drafts and Potions by Arsenius Jigger

Fantastic Beasts and Where to Find Them by Newt Scamander

The Dark Forces: A Guide to Self-Protection by Quentin Trimble

OTHER EQUIPMENT

Wand

Cauldron (pewter, standard size 2) set

Glass or crystal phials

Telescope set

Brass scales

Students may also bring an owl OR a cat OR a toad

PARENTS ARE REMINDED THAT FIRST YEARS ARE NOT ALLOWED THEIR OWN BROOMSTICKS

Excited that he would soon be getting his own wand, Harry reached in the cover for the second piece of letter and read it once again, holding it to the light.

HOGWARTS SCHOOL of WITCHCRAFT and WIZARDRY

Headmaster: ALBUS DUMBLEDORE

(Order of Merlin, First Class, Grand Sorc., Chf. Warlock, Supreme Mugwump, International Confed. of Wizards)

Dear Mr. Potter,

We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. Term begins on September 1. We await your owl by no later than July 31.

Yours sincerely,

Minerva McGonagall,

Deputy Headmistress

The rest of the holiday passed by uneventfully except for a surprise visit by Hagrid who said that Dumbledore had instructed him to escort them to Diagon Alley, two weeks before September 1st so that Mrs. Weasley wouldn't have to manage all of them at once. This excited both Ron, Harry and Ginny who had never been to Diagon Alley but only a few shops in Devon which were stocked with wizarding supplies.

On the morning of the 18th of August, exactly two weeks before school would start, Harry and Ron were shaken awake by their mother urging them to wake up quickly or otherwise that they would not be able to go to Diagon Alley. Under this threat, the two boys woke up grudgingly and walked sleepily, eyes still shut and knocking on random objects - Ron nearly tripping over a book on the floor - to the bathroom where both of them closed themselves inside. A few seconds later, the pair of them came running out screaming, their sleepiness shaken off.

Nearly an hour later, just as the sun was rising the two of them came downstairs, munching on the toast that their mother had left for them in their room and saw Hagrid seated on two of the chairs at the kitchen table, waving to them. While Harry and Ron greeted Hagrid, the rest of the Weasleys came down, along with a flustered Molly Weasley who instructed Hagrid to take Ron and Harry over to the fireplace while she brought the rear.

Having traveled by Floo before, to Devon, Harry threw some Floo powder from the flowerpot into the fire and watched as the glittering powder turned the flames emerald green. Stepping into the flames, he shouted, "Diagon Alley!" With the familiar feeling of spinning wildly and soaring upwards returning to him, he squinted through his glasses, with his elbows tucked in and watched as the fireplaces of various houses and places whooshed past him at an alarming pace. In nearly no time at all, he was being thrown forwards on to his face as he emerged in a dingy looking, apparently unused room which was empty except for a small battered looking couch which was facing the fireplace.

Harry got to his feet and walked a few paces forwards and turned to look as Ron shot out of the fireplace, followed by Ginny, Percy, Fred and then George. Hagrid and their mother was last (Hagrid nearly getting stuck in the fireplace, and only being able to get out after being grabbed from his arms and pulled out while their mother stuck within the fireplace, pushed him out, unable to breathe).

Laughing, at an embarrassed Hagrid, the children followed their mother out of the room and into a small restaurant like room which Hagrid called "The Leakey Cauldron". Hagrid waved to the barman, "'Lo there Tom!" The balding man looked up from the glass he was filling with sherry for an old woman and waved back at Hagrid. "Hello there Hagrid! Nice to see you here! And who's his with you? Ah! Mrs. Weasley I see! Good to see you ma'am. I trust your husband is well? And your children?"

Saying this, he looked at each of the Weasley children, his eyes stopping on each of them for a second,nodding at Percy in recognition and Ron's in welcome. But when his eyes reached Harry's face, the old man gasped. "Merlin's beard! It can't be -" The pub which had been noisy with the incessant chatter of it's customers suddenly fell silent. "It's Harry Potter!"

With this a scraping of chairs was heard as the entire pub got to it's feet and hurried over to Harry and the Weasleys. As Harry's hand was being shaken continuously, Hagrid and the rest of the Weasleys grinned as a few of the people strode over to them asking them about Harry.

"Delighted, Mr. Potter, just can't tell you, Diggle's the name, Dedalus Diggle." one man said as his top hat fell off in excitement.

"Honored to meet you, Mr. Potter!"

"Hope you have a wonderful day Mr. Potter!"

With the Weasleys' and Harry's insistence that they were getting late, they managed to escape from the mob and walked out to the backyard of the pub, where, their mother, drawing out her wand and tapped a brick on the wall, which caused the brick to wriggle and make a small hole appear.

The hole grew larger and larger and finally stopped as a large arc was formed, revealing the entrance to a cobbled street which wound it's way through the shops and seemed to disappear out of sight. "Welcome," said Hagrid, "to Diagon Alley."

The group stepped through the archway and into the street to see that the arch had disappeared. Glancing around to see the large assortment of shops, Harry knew that he was going to have an exciting day ahead of him.

A/N: Please notice that some of the conversations and the letters from Hogwarts are taken directly from the books themselves and that no alterations have been made. And I apologize for the long wait for the update, but I had a project to hand over and a load of classes, so I was kind of busy. Sorry! :( But hope that this chapter keeps you entertained until probably (60 hours or so) – I'm not mentioning days because, I'm in Sri Lanka and since most of the readers are in the US, it would be a mix up. Anyway, this is going to be the first chapter that my beta, Love-Pink26 will have edited for me, so I'm guessing it will be better than the previous chapters. :) Have a nice weekend! :D