Disclaimer: If I was J.K. Rowling, I would be writing the book, not the fan fiction.

Sorry this chapter took so long! My dad went to Russia and my sister went to Guatemala, and I lost a backpack and duffle bag in the transaction. Very busy here.

Luna Quiz Answers: Norbert the baby dragon, Buckbeak aka Witherwings the hippogriff, and Aragog the spider. Aragog died. Also, I will accept Fluffy, because he didn't run away, but he was taken from Hagrid to guard the Philosopher/ Sorcerer's Stone. I realize I worded the question a bit oddly.

Chapter Six

A Surprising Peck of Owls

Ron seemed to be healing well. Mrs. Weasley insisted on bringing him breakfast in bed, and he wasn't complaining. So during Ron's bed rest, Harry took to meeting with Ginny. They usually just talked about Quidditch, which Harry was grateful for. After they had separated, he'd been worried that she would alienate him. Instead, it was like they were simply friends again. She managed to act as if their brief romance had never happened. He wished he could.

When he wasn't with Ron or Ginny, he would look at the photo album the Aunt Petunia had given him. It was amazing, seeing his mother at his own age. And there were even a few that had his dad. There was no denying that James was his father. Except for the eyes, they could have been brothers.

Another thing that he enjoyed with the album was pictures of his grandparents. In his life, he had only seen them once before, and that was in the Mirror of Erised. And then, he had only known that they were his family. Harry had never known his parents, but for one of the first times, he realized how little he actually knew about any of his family, wizard or Muggle. He could have had wizard uncles and aunts from his dad's family. Of course, he knew that he didn't, but when he had first learned that he was a wizard, anything seemed possible.

Harry found that he was wondering more and more about family. More than once he wished he could have known them, spent time with them. It surprised him that Ron and Ginny had relatives that they didn't want to spend time with. But, he always imagined the pros of a family, never the cons. Still, he would've rather had a family than the Dursley's.

One afternoon, he was trying to magic gnomes from the Weasley's garden, he saw an owl swooping into the Burrow. Giving up on a particularly disgruntled gnome, he went to see if it was from the Daily Prophet. As he entered the kitchen, he saw two owls and then he received a sharp thwack on the back of his head. Mrs. Weasley rushed into the kitchen.

"Three owls? That's odd--Harry duck!" Before he could react he felt another blow on his head and a squank! As Mrs. Weasley had said, it was a duck. Harry backed into the corner, holding his head. He glanced suspiciously at the window, wondering if any more fowl would arrive. After waiting a minute, he stepped back out, just in time to hear Mrs. Weasley shriek and yet another owl slammed into the back of his head. By that time, Ron and Ginny had heard the commotion and were in the kitchen. His face burning, he joined the Weasley's out of the line of fire.

"Who would send us a duck?" Ginny said, elbowing Ron who was having a hearty laugh at Harry's predicament. Mrs. Weasley was already removing the envelopes from the birds and looked over at the duck.

"It looks like Hagrid's writing," she called. With more than a few feathers flying, she removed the letter. "But I must admit, a regular duck is too normal for him--" but then the duck started quaking and everyone could see it's fangs. While Harry, Ron, and Ginny backed away from the creature but Mrs. Weasley simply shrugged. "I knew it was too normal for him."

After a few moments of confusion and sending the fowl away, she started distributing the letters. Three were from Hogwarts, one from Hagrid, and the last was from the Daily Prophet.

"We'll go to Diagon Alley tomorrow. I must admit, the letters arrived a bit late this year, but I feel so bad for Minerva. But at least Fred and George are done and she doesn't have to deal with them," Mrs. Weasley tried to lighten the mood, and Harry gave her a smile. But he quickly went to Ron's room to open his letters.

"Honestly Harry, you get more mail than my parents," Ron said once they were in his room. Harry shrugged and ignored him. He waved the letter from Hagrid.

"It's addressed to both of us," he retorted. Ron came over as they read the familiar scrawl of writing. It was almost illegible because of the giant teardrops on it.

Harry, Ron, and Hermione,

Everything at Hogwarts has bin terrible. With Dumbledore…gone, everything's messed up. I'm staying to look after 'Witherwings' and care for Dumbledore's grave, but I bin thinking 'bout leaving. Madame Maxime has offered to give me a place to stay since me house burned down. However, it would be at Beauxbatons. I'm allowed to even bring Fang and Buckbeak. I'm letting you know so you'll be prepared if I'm not at Hogwarts.

Your Friend,

Hagrid

P.s. Please feed Muffin before sending him back.

"The git! He can't leave Hogwarts!" Ron yelled at the letter. Snatching the letter, he looked it over again in frustration. Harry knew that if Hagrid was with them, Ron wouldn't dare have an outburst like this. It hit him that when he told Ron that he wouldn't return to Hogwarts, there was no argument.

Ron was still fuming as he opened his Hogwarts letter. Harry decided to open the one from the Daily Prophet. As he had half guessed, they claimed that the address portion of the order form was blank. That meant that, somehow, number twelve, Grimmauld Place was still under the protection of a Secret Keeper.

Putting the letter aside, he opened his own Hogwarts letter. It looked as if it had been thrown together at the last moment. Obviously, Professor McGonagall didn't believe that he would return to Hogwarts. He wasn't Quidditch captain either. That was a surprise. It would have to be Ron or Ginny for sure, since they were the only players on the Gryffindor team that weren't brand new. He imagined how excited Mrs. Weasley would be to learn that another Weasley was captain, the first since Charlie.

Harry looked over at Ron, and saw that his ears were scarlet. Perhaps the Mirror of Erised wasn't wrong all those years ago. Ron was a prefect, had won the Quidditch Cup, and now was captain. Everything he had wanted to be.

Ginny and Mrs. Weasley came in, startling Ron.

"Harry, Ron, give me your booklists. Arthur came home early, so we'll be able to go the Diagon Alley today. How do your old robes fit you Harry?" As Mrs. Weasley bustled about, Ginny walked over to her brother. Her eyes grew wide as she looked at the paper Ron was holding, and looked at Harry, mouthing 'Captain?'. He nodded. She rolled her eyes.

"Hey mum, look what Ron's got," she said, earning a furious glare from Ron. Mrs. Weasley paused, taking the topmost paper from Ron. Only Harry saw the shining object fall from the pile of paper.

"Oh, Ronniekins! I'm so proud! But Harry…"

"It's fine Mrs. Weasley. They didn't think I was coming back, so it was only fair to give the position top someone who would be there for the team. Besides, this way I'm guaranteed Seeker position," Harry said. Unlike the time when Harry had been jealous of Ron for getting prefect, he was glad for him. Last year he had been captain, and it was hard.

Harry got up, joining the cluster of Weasley's around Ron's bed. He picked up the object he had seen, and almost started laughing.

"Harry, what's that?" Mrs. Weasley asked, picking up some fallen robes.

"It's Ron's, I saw it fall." Ron picked it up, and his face turned maroon. Ginny looked at it, and she met eyes with Harry. They burst out laughing. That got Mrs. Weasley's attention.

"Ron, what is it?" His red face paled to a near green color as she took the badge from him.

"Oh! My little Ronnie! Another Head Boy! Oh, I have to tell your father! ARTHUR!" Mrs. Weasley ran out of the room, leaving Ron with his mouth hanging open, looking quite sick.

Luna Quiz: Magical Mix-Up

Rearrange the following letters to reveal "who likes teddy bears and brandy".

TNBRREO

Good Luck!