The Re-Education of Tommy Weasley

Disclaimer: We do not own any of these characters, JK Rowling does.

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Chapter 6

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By the time Harry had marched through the Burrow and had his head-spinning, world-turning ride back to Grimmauld place via floo transport he had, had time to calm down though little time to think.

Not bothering to seek out Sirius, who was probably having an evening nap, he did that a lot, usually right after dinner as the meal was a bit heavier then the others he ate. His body was still far too weak from years in Azkaban and then being on the run, Harry headed straight for the well worn couch in the parlor and plopped down on it causing a large cloud of dust to ploom up out of it.

Coughing a bit Harry sighed. He was already feeling guilty about yelling at Mr. Weasley like that. The man had treated him like another son from the day he had met him and Harry knew that it wasn't as if they had a choice about keeping Tommy. Dumbledore had explained it to him quite clearly before sending him home for the holidays.

Once again Harry's temper had gotten the better of him, he should have known the Weasleys had some sort of spell in place to keep him safe and they had, the moment Tommy had tried to hurt him he had frozen and it wasn't as if Harry didn't know they cared, they were in a very bad position here and Harry had not made it any better. He knew they loved him but that Dumbledore had asked them to take Tommy and no one says no to Dumbledore and so they had a responsibility to Tommy. Harry couldn't give them an ultimatum of him or Tommy and rightfully expect them to choose him because they couldn't!

As such Harry was forced to come to the conclusion that he had behaved like a right git!

Making up his mind to spend some time with Sirius and allow all parties to cool down, Harry made his way to his room. Sirius didn't have to know what happened no need to agitate the man who was finally beginning to heal from his time in Azkaban, now that the war was over. He would just tell him he wanted to spend some alone time with him and then they would go back to the Weasleys on Christmas eve as planned and he would apologize to Mr. and Mrs. Weasley then.

Harry was supposed to have spent the entire break with the Weasleys with Sirius coming Christmas eve and staying at the burrow where Molly could pamper him and help him put some weight back on like she had been trying to do since he settled back in Grimmauld place after that year in the cave, till Harry and the others went back to school the week after new years.

With a good plan in mind Harry lay in his bed and closed his eyes.

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Harry yawned as he padded down the stairs. Rubbing the sleep out of his eyes he thought back to the last couple of days.

After spending a few days with his Godfather and having the opportunity to bond more, a shamefaced Harry had pulled Arthur to the side to apologize for his behavior. Arthur accepted the apology, he was relieved that Harry had even shown up for Christmas Eve dinner after everything that happened, hope swelled in his chest that maybe one day Harry could come to terms on the subject of Tommy upon hearing his apology. Christmas eve dinner was a lively affair, Harry thoroughly enjoyed himself. He took a small moment to note that Tommy seemed to be considerably less enthused by the holiday as one would expect him to be.

Harry dismissed his misery, deciding that Tommy was simply sulking over his punishment, Arthur had told him how Tommy had been punished hoping it would appease Harry's hostility toward the boy. Harry felt a little smug to watch the child squirm in his seat, in remembrance of what had preceded that. Harry went to sleep in happy anticipation of Christmas, this would be his first Christmas not at Hogwarts, he was looking forward to the family atmosphere that he'd always imagined that a Weasley Christmas would have.

Harry nearly ran into bleary-eyed Percy as he reached the sitting room.

Tommy could hear the excitement of Christmas morning from his room. Tommy could honestly say he had never in his life had a Christmas, not at the orphanage not even once he got to Hogwarts. He hadn't had anybody to exchange gifts with when he graduated either and after becoming Voldemort... well Dark Lords didn't celebrate Christmas. Right?

Tommy had suffered through Christmas dinner and was certain he had only survived the experience because he was sitting as close to Arthur as possible thus fending off any murder attempts by the rest of the family and guests. Trimming and decorating the tree had been much of the same. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had left the tree to the children while they decorated the rest of the house. The looks Ron was throwing him made it more then apparent he wasn't invited to join in so he had hidden off in a corner trying to make himself into as small a ball as he could.

He had never gotten a Christmas gift before so really he shouldn't have felt sad or left out but there it was again, that painful aching in his chest as he sat in front of his door. The door was cracked open just a fraction of an inch so that he could peer out with one eye and listen to the goings on downstairs.

Excited tittering made its way up and into his ears and he fought back tears angry with himself for letting it get to him.

When Harry entered the sitting room, his eyes automatically scanned for Tommy. He didn't know why he was so curious about the boy's reaction; there was some strange form or morbid curiosity at its stem. To his surprise, he didn't find the child beside Arthur or Molly. In fact... Harry couldn't find him anywhere.

'I wonder if he's still sulking in his room' Harry pondered and he crept up the stairs, his curiosity getting the better, spying the door to Tommy's room was ajar. Well, Harry was never good at containing his curiosity so he soon found himself heading to the room and opening the door.

Tommy could hear Harry coming before he could see him, quickly closing his door he scurried to his bed and pulled the unmade blankets over his head just in time to hear the door open again.

Harry had seen the door close and that only made him more curious, he entered the room to find the boy in bed.

Harry rolled his eyes. "I know you're not asleep, the door didn't close itself."

A soft snort came from under the blanket but other then that Tommy made no attempt to interact with the teen. He was only slightly terrified about what the boy wanted or what he was going to do to him, he wondered if the others would come if they heard him scream or if maybe the older boy would be smart enough to erect a silencing spell.

"Why are you still sulking? Trying to ruin Christmas for everyone? They're all waiting for you." Harry said annoyed.

"Not." was all Tommy managed to squeak out, shaking slightly under his blanket and holding Jerry tightly.

Harry really did not have the patience for this so early in the morning, he strode on over to the boy and ripped the blankets off.

"You are too sulking! Just because you don't enjoy the holidays doesn't mean you should ruin it for everyone else." Harry said angrily.

Tommy flinched backwards and let out a scared little wail his arms flying up to protect his head as he cowered back and away from the angry adolescent. He wasn't ruining the holiday for everyone else, his presence would do that, staying away and locked in his room like a good little monster was supposed to make it so the others could enjoy their Christmas and Tommy wouldn't have to have the fact that he wasn't wanted rubbed in his face once more.

Seeing the boy react in such a terrified manner brought back some rather unpleasant memories to Harry. His anger instantly deflated. Despite himself he found himself trying to soothe the boy.

"Hey, it's alright, I'm not going to hurt you." He said gently. When the child was like this it was hard to see him as anything but a scared little boy. It was hard to remember that this was the powerful dark lord.

Tommy was skeptical at best but he pulled his arms down from where they covered his head and face enough to peer at Harry with wide blue eyes, though he remained cured in a tight ball, a defensive maneuver he had learned during his first childhood, to protect his vital organs from any attack the other boy might want to try.

"You... You really are afraid of me, aren't you?" Harry asked, realization dawning on him. It had not escaped his notice what the boy was trying to do in his position.

Tommy whimpered a bit at that his face coloring with a deep red flush, both hands coming up to cover his face much like a child who wanted to play peek a boo would do.

A small part of Harry felt vindicated, like he had won. But the rest of him realized that it was a hallow victory, and the thought of a small child afraid of him gave him no comfort. The realization sank like a heavy lead weight into the bottom of his stomach. He had been bullied most of his life, and the idea that he was on the other end of it now, bullying a 4 year old no less... Just felt so wrong.

Suddenly Harry couldn't stand to look at the child. Averting his eyes he said. "Look... about before... I... I shouldn't have hit you so hard."

"I didn't mean to." He added in a mumble.

Tommy frowned at Harry, he squirmed feeling a bit awkward, what was he supposed to do now? Apologize for killing the other boy's parents? That seemed oddly inappropriate so he settled for "Not try n hit you wif a rock `gain" and wondered if it had sounded half as stupid and ridiculous as he thought it did.

Harry's eyebrows raised, he hadn't expected any kind of regret from the child. Coughing Harry turned his head somewhat awkwardly and tried to change the subject. "You know, they won't start without you, Weasley tradition."

"Notta Weazy." Tommy pointed out, no matter what they legally changed his name to it wouldn't make him really part of the family

"No kistmas for me." he added sinking back down into the bed grabbing Jerry to his chest once more.

Harry couldn't help himself from rolling his eyes. "Are you really that stupid? They took you in! You're a part of the family, more so then me. Your last name is even Weasley. And what do you mean 'no Christmas for me'? I remember Ron complaining how there was that green and silver package with your name on it, so you have presents." 'Which is more than I got when I was your age.' Harry added to himself, bitterly.

Tommy frowned and furrowed his brow "You `tupid!!" he shot back childishly "Dumbdore maked dem!!" he informed the older boy, he would think that Harry of all people would know what Dumbledore was capable of making other people do.

The last of what Harry said registering in his mind belatedly, he shook his head "Naughty evil boys not get presents." he reminded the teen as if he thought he was completely feeble minded and had forgotten, having suggested something as stupid as Tommy having a present.

He may have never had a real Christmas but that didn't mean he didn't know how it worked or what the rules were. The adults that worked at the orphanage sought to remind him regularly every December. Though maybe the boy was just trying to hurt him, make him think he had a present waiting for him under the tree for the very first time in his life, get his hopes up just to be able to watch his disappointment and hurt when all the presents had been handed out and he didn't get anything. That was far more cruel then him going down knowing he wasn't getting anything, if he had no hopes then he couldn't be as disappointed or crushed and he could see how Harry wouldn't get as much fun out of that. But if he thought he was going to get something only to get nothing it would hurt far more and well that were the real fun came in for others.

He could hear it in his head now 'evil little freaky monster, you were really stupid enough to think you had presents!' Tommy cringed as memory over took him carrying him away from the burrow and back to the orphanage.

He had been seven at the time, missing his two front teeth yet possessing an annoyingly adorable lisp, and it had been Adam Collins who had told him that there was a present under the tree for him that year.

Adam was a nasty fourteen year old that had come to the orphanage only three months earlier after losing his parents to a fire, he had no idea what it was like to have spent ones entire life there and wouldn't know the hardships much longer as the orphanage pawned older orphans out in something akin to apprenticeships to local shop owners when they turned 15 (basically the children were given as cheap labor, or glorified slaves depending on how you wanted to look at it. They worked for food and shelter, it was wartime and really the best the orphanage could hope to do for its older children.)

Tommy normally wouldn't have believed it but Adam was new and he didn't know him well plus the orphanage had just hired three new girls and Tommy still had just enough child like naiveté left in him to have hope, to think maybe just maybe one of them had gotten him something.

He could still remember the excitement come Christmas morning and for the first time he actually left his room and sat with the other children under the tree come Christmas morning, he also remembered the complete disappointment he had felt when all the presents had been handed out and he had been the only one there not to receive a parcel, and then the utter humiliation he had felt that he had believed Adam, he had felt so embarrassed that he had gotten so excited, had been so stupid to let him trick him like that.

He had been so shocked by it, though looking back he didn't know why he had been shocked, that he hadn't concealed the emotion on his face or been able to prevent the red hot blush the crept into his cheeks when he realized the nasty joke that had been played on him and all the children had started to laugh Adam's mocking voice still rang in his head 'Freaky Tommy really was stupid enough to think someone would get him a present!!' followed by his laughter, so, so much laughter!

Two days after Christmas Adam's pants had mysteriously caught on fire and the boy had been severely burned all up and his left leg... It had been the first time Tommy had truly hurt anyone with his magic but it wouldn't be the last.

He hadn't ever dared hope for anything again after that, not even something so simple as a Christmas present under the tree the following Christmas. He had never hoped and he had never gotten one but he had never been disappointed by the lack of gifts again, he had never been disappointed by anything again... Not till recently when he had been caught and de aged. One had to have hope to be disappointed. No Tommy had not had hope again till he had become Lord Voldemort and once again it had been proven the hope was nothing and serve no purpose but pain.

Caught in the flashback Tommy didn't realize that tears had started to fall down his cheeks or that he was making soft little sobbing noises.

That struck a chord in Harry, as it was what the Dursleys had said to justify him not getting any presents every year. Harry looked at the boy with new eyes, feeling a sudden stab of empathy with him. Looking into the cherub like face and seeing tears flow out of the boy's wide blue eyes; Harry couldn't see the dark lord in the little boy. Despite the past, it was obvious that the small boy in front of him was a child now.

Harry had had to give up hope on Christmas, something no child should have to do. Those words nagged at him though, who would come up with that phrasing when referring to themselves?

"Who... Who told you that?" Harry asked almost in a whisper.

Tommy shook his head as if cleaning out the memories. The better question would have been who had not told him that. "Ebryone." the child said under his breath.

"My Aunt and Uncle said the same thing." Harry said in shocked surprise, the words just tumbled out of his mouth.

Tommy frowned but didn't offer up any further information, he had said enough already.

"They were wrong." Harry added quietly, he didn't know what was compelling him to speak, to comfort the one who should be his enemy. "No child should think that of themselves."

Tommy squirmed feeling really uncomfortable all of a sudden. "Why you bein' so nice a me?"

"I don't know!" Harry said exasperated. "Maybe because it's Christmas and I think all children should enjoy it. Maybe it's because I want to believe that if you have a better childhood this time around, you might not turn out as bad. Take your pick, but let's go! People are waiting."

Tommy looked thoughtful for a bit. Should he believe Harry? He didn't think so he was probably planning something real nasty. Decision made he shouted "NO! I don beleave you!"

"I don't care, don't be selfish!" Harry said annoyed. "They always start gift unwrapping with the youngest, so they really can't start without you. Now come on!" Harry reached out and grabbed the child's arm dragging him out the door.

"Nooooo!" Tommy struggled and started to cry, he wouldn't be humiliated, not again!! "Not wan me!!!! No Kistmas for naughty evil boys!!! Freak not `tupid nuff to think him got presents!!" he cried out repeating the words that had been spoken to him so many years ago.

Harry froze at that last bit. "What did you say?"

Those words were the same as some that were spoken to him years ago. When he was growing up, every year on Christmas day he would have to sit in his cupboard while listening to Dudley open his presents. But one year when he was five, he went shopping with his aunt and cousin and they went to visit Santa Claus at the shopping center. Aunt Petunia hadn't wanted to let him go, but she couldn't very well have Dudley go and sit on Santa's lap and hold Harry back. So Harry got a turn on Santa's lap and asked for his own teddy bear. Santa had said 'ho, ho, ho I think that can be arranged.' and a beaming Harry went home with a huge smile on his face. So it was when Christmas morning came, he was up before his aunt came to wake him for breakfast. After breakfast he rushed over the tree to look for his present. He was crushed when he found that not a single present was for him. He dimly noted his aunt and uncle telling him to go to his cupboard as he walked away from the tree, tears in his eyes. Dudley pushed by him and spoke those very same words that Tommy had just uttered.

Tommy whimpered and put the arm that wasn't be held by Harry up over his head and flinched preparing for a blow. Harry had sounded angry!

"How did you know that? Who told you? Did you think that was funny? Bringing up something like that?" Harry asked harshly shaking the child a bit.

Tommy yelped and flinched "W-What?" he cried in confusion.

"My cousin said that same thing ten years ago! What did you do, read my mind?"

Harry asked angrily.

"NO NO!!" Tommy cried, "I can't do dat no more!!! No magic in me!!" he cried ina bit in fear of Harry and a bit in mourning for the loss of his magic. Though it wasn't completely true technically there still was magic in the child it was just bound up, stuffed in a tiny padlocked box inside him but to Tommy it felt the same.

"Then how did you know?" Harry asked, his grip on the little boy tightened.

Tommy yelped again as Harry's fingers dug into him painfully "I not know!!!!" he sobbed, "Dem say dat to mee!!!"

That pierced through Harry's anger. "Who said that to you?" He asked, loosening his grip on the child, but not letting go.

Tommy whimpered "Eberyone at da orfumage"

Harry blinked as it took him a while to decipher that, but when he did, he looked down at the sniffling boy. Harry couldn't have but feel a strange comradely with the child. With a sigh he said, "Huh, I guess we both had pretty crap childhoods."

Tommy blinked up at him, though no longer covering his head with his arm he was still trying to pull away from Harry. Jerry had fallen to the floor when Harry had grabbed him so Tommy yanked away from the older boy and grabbed him back and then ran back to his bed.

Harry followed the boy to his room.

"Come on, I was serious about the Weasley tradition and you having a present. Trust me, the Weasleys are much nicer than any orphanage would be. It's no trick. Now, unless you want me to carry you..." Harry trailed off with that threat.

"Nooooooo!!" Tommy cried bringing Jerry up to cover his face "Not wan me!"

With a frustrated sigh, Harry went over and plucked the small boy up and carried him under his arm to the sitting room. Once he reached the tree he picked up the lumpy green and silver package and thrust it into the child's face. "Here, see? This is yours, now we can begin." Harry said as he set the child down.

Tommy cried and kicked and wriggled struggling under Harry's arm he was sobbing till a package thrust in his face shocked him out of and he gasped coughing a bit as he choked on his remaining sobs and when he was put down on his feet he stared at Harry wide eyed tears still falling down his cheeks, he could clearly read that the present said his name on it and he was shocked "N-Not lied a me?" he asked in shock and awe

"No, I didn't lie to you." Harry looked around and then turned to Molly and asked, "Can we start now? Everyone's here."

Molly beamed; it was good to see Harry getting along so well with Tommy. "Of course we can, dear. Tommy, you start, you're the youngest so you go first."

Tommy looked down at the gift in his hand and that back towards Molly and Arthur who where sitting on the couch which had been moved to be over by the tree for just that purpose, unlike the kids they didn't much fancy sitting on the floor though Sirius didn't seem to have that same concern as he was sitting amongst the sea of red heads right on the floor. Tommy walked over to them and climbed up to sit in between them placing the gift on Molly's right thigh and Jerry on Arthur's left he put his right hand on Molly's left knee and his left hand on Arthur's right hoisting himself up in between them getting on the couch on his knees where he then turned himself around to face forward before plopping down on his bottom. He then accepted his gift back from Molly.

Running his finger over the letters that made up his name almost mesmerized for a moment, tracing each letter in tern before slowly, carefully pulling the paper off as if he wanted to rip it as little as possible.

"Oh, hurry up. The rest of us are waiting." Ron said impatiently.

"Ronald!" Molly said in a warning voice. Tommy gave a small jump in his seat nearly tossing the present across the room in fright. He halted in his motions of unwrapping the present and looked up at Molly questioningly, he was doing it wrong, he knew it.

"Go on, dear," Molly said encouragingly.

Nodding Tommy went back to pulling the tape up and unwrapping the gift the wrapping paper nearly unripped as it unfurled around the green and silver knitted cap with the green and silver pom pom bobble on it. He looked at it and then up at Molly and smiled. Ginny went next and revealed a Weasley sweater, and then Harry went. The gift opening made it's way around the room until it came to be Tommy's turn again.

Tommy cocked his head "Nother one?" he asked in shock. There were a lot of presents under the tree but Tommy had been surprised to even get one. At Molly's nod Tommy opened the gift thought this time having seen the others open theirs was a little more aggressive, he smiled again when he saw it was a Weasley sweater, green with a silver T in the middle.

When the third round came about Tommy was completely confused to get another gift this time a recipe book for him to place all his favorite recipes in when he cooked with Molly, He was nearly over whelmed especially when Percy handed him a package from him, it was a book called 'My First Familiar everything the wizardling needs to know about Familiars'. Tommy was a little confused by this, Nagini had been killed, he was still very sad about that. But then again he supposed it was Percy that had given the book to him he had probably looked for the most educational book that was appropriate to give to Tommy considering, while he could still read well above the level of a 4 year old, his mental capabilities had been regressed along with the rest of him. No matter the reason the book looked interesting enough though it saddened him a bit as it reminded him of his lost snake. He smiled at Percy and thanked him for the nice present, and really he was very grateful if a bit overwhelmed.

A short while later all the presents had been given out and though Tommy's own pile was far smaller then that of the rest of the children (Percy had been the only one to get him anything besides the few gifts Molly and Arthur had given him but it was still so much more then he had expected) he was sure none of them felt quite as appreciative about what they had gotten, he couldn't have felt better if his pile had been the largest and these new feelings were very odd for him!

Arthur stood up and walked into the kitchen. Moments later he returned with another green and silver package, it was a box with some small holes on the top.

"Here you go, one last present."

Tommy looked up and cocked his head "m-more?" Tommy squeaked out in a tight voice.

"Yes, go ahead and open it." Arthur said, handing the present to the boy.

Tommy took the box in his lap and carefully pulled the top off peering in. His eyes went wide as the small creature within gave a little mew as the light assaulted its eyes again.

"L-Like Jerry!" Tommy said in complete awe a few tears coming down his cheeks as he reached one small hand in slowly to try and pet the furry little thing on the head.

"Now, he will be your responsibility. You need to be sure to feed him and take care of him." Arthur instructed.

"Mine." Tommy whispered reverently, as if he needed to repeat it to himself in order to believe it. " I take care him!" he assured Arthur as he reached into the box with care and gentleness a four year old, especially this four year old simply was not thought to possess, and gently pulled the tiny orange kitten out of the box and let the box fall to the floor before placing the tiny kneazle kitten in his lap and started to softly pet his head. Suddenly the book Percy bought him made sense and he was so very excited to read it, a cat, though he couldn't talk to it as he had Nagini, was strong and could even eat snakes, he liked cats a lot.

Arthur and Molly had toyed with the idea of a Snake but they didn't want to upset the child, they knew Nagini had been killed and they didn't want to remind him of her and at the same time he seemed to like cats a lot, he took Jerry every where and this kitten had looked so much like the stuffed toy it just seemed like the right Familiar for the boy.

The kitten took to Tommy right away, like most familiars he sensed that this was his wizard and reacted as such, nuzzling his head into the boy's hand.

"What are you going to name him, dear?" Molly asked.

Tommy looked thoughtful for a few moments as he thought up a good name.

"Lucas... He can stay in my room? In my bed?" Tommy asked hopefully

"Of course he may dear." Molly said as she smiled bright, she had a great knowledge of Latin and she knew what that name meant and she had no doubt Tommy did as well and that was the reason he picked it... To bring light, it seemed oddly appropriate here, as that is exactly the reason they had decided to get the kitten for the child. A kitten could give the boy unconditional love, love that he wouldn't question and that was what Tommy needed. Needed some light in his life and while they still worked on their relationship in hopes they could all one day love each other the kitten would at least undoubtedly give Tommy love until he could see how much they truly wanted to try and love him, how much they were already starting too.