Greetings from Italia! This is really becoming a cosmopolitan story: started in Spain, developed in England and continued in Italy. This gallivanting across Europe is to blame for my poor from in keeping things posted. If I don't post for a while, you can expect a properly long chapter to keep you sated. Hopefully for the next few weeks I can at least managed a chapter every 10 days, but no promises.

Also, as typical of my stories (though you won't find many on the internet), this has quickly taken a life of its own. I imagine once it's done it will get rewritten with all the things I've learnt about my versions of the characters. But until then, I know only a tiny bit more than you guys and even that is subject to my whims, which are variable to say the least.

OH! I nearly forgot, thanks to my reviewer: 1CharmedPhoenix. You're a star, I loved your comments and I'll keep trying to please. As always, much love to anyone who keeps coming back to reading this, I've got a few people following and favouriting this now and it's such a great encouragement.

Now, we're doing with this, back to the story:

4.

Planning, Replanning and then Back to the Drawing Board

'Gin',' Harry started a couple of days after her birthday. They were sat in the kitchen. The scrubbed, wooden table between them. They were eating lunch alone. Mrs. Weasley had dragged Ron shopping. Hermione had agreed to go with them but only to London. She had business at the Ministry of Magic in locating her parents.

'Harry,' she retorted happily. She had her hands wrapped round a sandwich of immense proportions. No Weasley could ever be sad when their mouths were clamped over bread, salami, and cheese.

'You know that letter I got yesterday?' Harry's sandwich was only half eaten. He'd put it down when he began to speak, the idea having just leapt into his mind. Ginny mumbled something he took as her remembrance. He didn't want to push her too far. Too many times had he been showered by food and spittle by Ron. Ginny was much better, but food-time was always a little unpredictable with any of them.

'Well it was from the ministry. They're aware we all received letters offering us a place at Hogwarts. I know we've not spoken really about it, but the ministry said that if I decided to not take my final year they were happy to overlook the need for NEWTs and accept me onto their Auror training course.' Harry looked at his fingers as he spoke. When he finished he glanced up. Ginny swallowed the sandwich in her mouth and looked at him.

'You want to take it?' She asked. Her voice straight and to the point.

'Yeh. I know we said we'd head off about now for a year. But this way, I can help in the clean-up and you don't have to base your life off my desires. Which...' He said quickly, holding her hand up to stop her speaking. Ginny shut her mouth and watched with her eyebrow raised. 'I know you would not mind doing. But if you want a career in Quidditch...' He trailed off. Ginny look at him. She took another bite of her sandwich. Harry followed silently and they munched together quietly for a few moments.

'Take it Harry.' Ginny spoke suddenly. 'You want to, I can tell. When I think about it, even if for a moment, I think I'd like to go back, get my NEWTs and have another year playing Quidditch. In truth, a year of stability would be good for us all.'

Harry smiled at her.

'One condition though,' Ginny added.

'Come see you as often as I can?'

'Right in one, Golden-boy.'

'What can I say,' Harry grinned, 'They don't call me the Chosen One for nothing?'

'I told you, boys, all this victory is going to his head.' Harry and Ginny whipped round as a soft, sly voice from the doorway interrupted them. Draco Malfoy stood with two, black-robed figures. Malfoy was twisting his wand between his fingers as he leant against the doorway. His cronies scowled and pointed their wands at the two of them.

Slowly the three of them advanced. Harry and Ginny leapt out of their seats. His eyes fixed on Malfoy, Harry went to pull out his wand.

'Expelliarmus!' Malfoy cried. Leaving Harry, for the first time in a very long time, defenceless. His palms began to sweat. He edged himself in front of Ginny. She slowly moved to pull out her wand, but she too was quickly disarmed.

'Ah ah ah, don't want any violence now do we, Potter, Weaslette?' Malfoy said with a cold sneer.

'Fuck off, Malfoy. You know this house is guarded. Too much power by a non-resident and the Aurors will be here in an instant.'

'How powerful do we really need to be when we have your wands? Really, Potter, you're being quite dense about the whole situation.'

'I did warn you, Expelliarmus!' Harry yelled and extended his hand out. Suddenly all three of Malfoy's wands flew into his hand. The three, would-be assailants froze.

Quietly at first but quickly building to a roar, one of Malfoy's cronies exploded into laughter. In between his laughs he managed to spit out: 'Bugger me - Ronnie... you - didn't, tell us, he could... do - wandless magic.'

'You guys really are shit at this,' Malfoy sighed. He pulled out a small vial and swigged it. The non-laughing, indeed quite put-out, other cronie did the same. Soon, where Malfoy had occupied moments previously, Bill Weasley stood and his cronie was a very annoyed looking Ron.

'Well, how am I supposed to know. If you want to know shit like that you need to ask Ginny! Bloody hell, George!' Ron exclaimed and smacked his palm across the back of the laughing ones head. Controlling himself, 'George' managed to get control of himself long enough to drink his potion. Soon, a struggling to maintain himself, George Weasley stood amongst them.

'You couldn't hold it together until we'd fully embarrassed them could you, George?' Bill asked with a very happy smile.

'Sorry, Bill. But you know, I've not laughed like that, since well, y'know. Thanks for making me do this. I'm impressed you got Mum in on it to.'

'She was only too happy when it involved Ron getting new clothes, a haircut and making you cheer up.' Bill replied with a smile.

'Why am I always the dogsbody?' Ron moaned. George grabbed his cheek and wiggled it.

'Because you're the youngest, ickle Ronniekins.' He cooed.

'No I'm not! Ginny is!'

'And Ginny!' she interrupted timely. 'Is not very happy.' Her brothers look up. Suddenly concerned.

'Do you have an exit plan?' Ron whispered in Bill's ear. Bill just shook his head slightly. Ginny laughed her mirthless laugh. Harry had moved away and was leaning against the sink, finishing his sandwich. He was now very much enjoying this little interruption of his lunch.

'Now, because I'm feeling especially generous and because you've been wise enough not to tease me for a good while. I will give you to the count of three. One...' Her brothers did not need telling. They stormed out of the doorway. Simultaneously the front door slammed open and shut, as did the backdoor whilst the stairs thundered as someone stormed up them.

'Now comes the fun part. Fancy helping, Harry?'

'I'll get the one upstairs.'

'Careful, that's George. He's the most cunning. Watch out for his tricks. Hopefully his supply is short.'

'I wouldn't count on it,' Harry grimaced. Ginny shrugged. 'Join me once you've got him. Bill will be a bit of an issue. He's gone out the back.'

The lights were turned off as Harry made his way upstairs. Only the little light peeking through the drawn curtains suggested it was anything but midnight outside. Harry trod carefully. The stairs creaked dreadfully, but once on the landing it was easier to be silent. George's room was to the right, on the third floor.

Halfway up the second stairway a disembodied voice floated down to him. He couldn't help but chuckle.

'Lo! How the mighty have fallen,' Came a ghostly, deeper impression of George's voice. 'Here, this way comes the Chosen One, now the puppet of that which is pint-sized.'

'Don't let her know you said that. Your brother's are already immobilized by Bat Bogeys.'

'Well then, Mr. Potter, you and I shall have our own fun.'

All of a sudden small explosions surrounded him and darkness flooded down the stairs. Harry smiled. He'd expected George's first move to be something like this. He closed his eyes, felt for the walls and redoubled his grip. Harry knew this house without looking.

After the 12th step he knew he was on the right landing. It was doubtful, he decided, that George would be anywhere other than his room or the attic. Nowhere else had any 'ammunition' as the twins had called their tricks during the war.

'Expecto Patronum Corperalis' Harry muttered. A solid, shimmering block of silver appeared. His stag nodded to him.

'Thank you, Dumbledore,' Harry thought as the stag stayed blocking off any route to George's room and ensuring Harry's back was safe. He was pretty certain that no-one but him in this house knew how to use Patronuses as anything other than defence. The lack of arrogant comment from the darkness confirmed this beleif. In a way, it would be nice if George tried to attack. Mr. G. Weasley was not the only one who knew how to be cunning.

Harry reached the door. With his wand held out in front of him, he pushed it open a little. He was immediately flung back as a storm of bats exploded in his face, disappearing upon collision. He pushed open the door and yelled Protego!. Jack in the boxes, flying pygmy puffs, mechanical goblins covered in steel, and even a tiny dragon of fire all exploded on his shield.

George sat on his bed, an implacable smile on his face.

'Ah, Mr. Potter, I've been expecting you.' He said, stroking a tiny Pygmy Puffs.

'You're not Blofelt, George. I still regret giving your Dad those movies.'

'Ah well, a boy can dream. Now what is it to be, Bat Bogey?' George let the mini Puffskein go. It bounced off the bed and rolled away into a corner.

'I'm a Marauder's son. It's a badge of honour never to do the expected.' Harry smiled, and then flicked his wand. He wasn't the biggest fan of using the spell he'd seen his Dad use to bully Snape, but needs must. At any rate, George deserved a spell he didn't know.

'Touche, Harry, touche. Fancy letting me down now old chap?' George asked as he hung by his ankle above his bed.

'Now, now, George. We know both know I can't do that. Miss Weasley will want to inspect my handy-work. Don't worry, your blood never seems to rush anywhere painful with this one. I'll just leave you to stew. Now, if you don't mind, I have your sister to see to.' He winked at George, who flushed a deep, Weasley-only, maroon. Harry shut the door, dimming the angry shouting that accompanied him out of the room.

His Patronus was still there, keeping some of the darkness at bay. Deciding it would be appropriate to make an entrance Harry flung his leg over its back.

'Down to the Back Garden, if you don't mind.' Harry asked. The stag gave him a look, Harry guessed it at conspirital. With an expulsion of air from its nose and a shake of it's great head the misty stag thundered down the stairs; Harry immediately regretting his mode of transport as he flung his arms round the neck.

The light shifted from blackness, to dullness to pleasingly soft. Ginny had left the back door open and the sounds of a duel echoed to him.

'Come on, old friend. Let's see if they can stop the Cavalry.' With that, the stag reared and charged out into bright sunlight.