A/N: I have two chapters up today. I had a PM from someone asking if I'm still putting Harry and Ginny together. I figure I should answer that on here as well. Likely not because they are brother and sister now, and it would be strange, even if they're not related. I don't really have plans to do Harry's school years anyway. This story will just be when he is young. At times I've thought of doing his fourth to seventh years but I'm still not sure. I'm not sure if I have the skill to re-write his school years. I confess I did once do that when I had a Harry Slytherin when I first started this account years ago. A lot of people hated what I did with changing how he saved the Stone, and the Chamber of Secrets. I only got half-way through his third year before I deleted it. They didn't like him having different friends from Ron and Hermione, and it went against their Head Canon. So I don't know if I'd be the right person to write about his school years since things would be different. I'll probably just leave this has him being little. I might consider changing that if there is interest, but I'm still not sure. A lot of people might dislike the changes again.
By the way, I have some forums now. I don't know how much use they'll get: w w w . fanfiction myforums/JennlovesHarryPotter/499397/ I had to put spaces because the doc manager keeps deleting it. And it deleted the first part of it.
Life with the Weasley's was so much different than with his aunt and uncle. Every day he was allowed to have fun. He didn't have to do chores other than picking up after himself. Molly served breakfast to them every day. He no longer had to do that, which he was relieved about. He always hated when he had to use the hot stove. It was scary.
Often, he did forget that he didn't have to apologize for being a burden. For as long as he could remember, he always had to do it, or else he would get spanked. It was hard to forget now, but unlike his aunt and uncle, Molly and Arthur never got angry with him for it.
"Harry, you are not a burden, and we do not want you to say that here," Molly told him that morning when he said.
"I'm sorry," Harry replied. "I'm trying, but I always forget."
"I know dear," Molly responded. "And we'll keep reminding you when you do forget. Now sit down and eat please. We're taking Bill and Charlie to school today."
Another odd thing was they didn't go to school, but Bill and Charlie did. They actually lived at their school! Molly taught the younger kids at home. Harry didn't want to admit it, because he didn't want to seem ungrateful, but he was going to miss going to school. He liked the classroom and his teacher. He liked all the fun stuff that they did there. Perhaps it would be fun with the Weasley's too though. So far, everything else was.
"Someday we get to go on the train too," Ron told Harry as they ate breakfast together. "We'll be like Fred and George. They go together too. We'll be like twins too; we just don't look the same."
"Twins don't always have to look the same," Percy spoke up. "Fred and George are identical twins, but there are also fraternal twins too. That means that there is more than one egg-"
"That's a conversation for later," Arthur interrupted. "I don't even know how you understand that but the other five children are too young. Even Bill and Charlie… but anyway, that's enough!"
"I read a lot of books you know," Percy said.
"What egg?" Fred asked. "People don't come from eggs!"
"Yes, they do!" Percy argued.
"How?" George asked. "You think we're hatched like a chicken? You're a dote."
"No of course not. That's not how it works-"
"Enough!" Arthur said while Bill and Charlie laughed.
Harry grinned down at his plate too. He didn't think things would ever get old at the Weasley's. He loved it here. He loved the small arguments and very rarely did the kids hit each other. Whenever Dudley was upset, he often hurt Harry, and then his aunt and uncle would get angry with him.
"I think you should only be reading books at your age level," Molly told Percy as she began serving them bacon.
"But all those books are for babies," Percy protested. "Besides, I got it from the bookshelf. It tells all about how babies are made."
"And that's our mistake for leaving that there," Arthur said. "From now on, read the books that are for your age."
"I don't think-" Percy began, but he quieted down as Molly gave him a stern look.
He glared down at his plate. Harry listened as Fred and George began whispering about finding the book. Ron and Ginny were discussing in whispers exactly how eggs became people. Harry was intrigued as well, but he kept quiet. Instead, he just ate his food while the others talked around him. It was never silent during a meal.
"Are you going to miss us mate?" Bill asked Harry.
"Yes, I don't want you to go," Harry said before taking a bite out of some bacon.
"You'll see us at Easter," Charlie said.
"I hope so," Harry said.
He didn't know if he'd still be there for Easter. No one knew what was going on. All he knew was that he'd had the best days of his life so far, and he was scared it would all end. What if they decided he had to go back to his aunt and uncles? He really didn't want to. He didn't miss any of them. He had a room and a bed to sleep in here. He had toys and he had people to play with.
"We hope so too Harry," Bill told him with a smile.
"When is the Ministry lady supposed to come?" Charlie asked.
He was referring to some lady who was supposed to come see if this was the right home for him. He hoped she would say it was. Molly had been talking to him and other kids a lot about her. They were doing their best to make sure the house was spotless, and that nothing seemed out of place to her.
"Sometime this week," Arthur replied. "They didn't say which day. They're going to surprise visits."
"I don't get why they're making it hard for us, but easy for people like his aunt and uncle," Charlie said.
"We feel the same way," Molly answered. "Now eat up. We need to get you lot to Kings Cross. Do the two of you have everything packed?"
"Yes mum, we double checked last night," Bill said. "We just need to bring our trunks down."
"I'll do that after breakfast," Arthur said.
"Speaking of the Ministry lady," Molly said as she joined them at the table. "Percy, please don't tell her that you read above you age level."
"Why?" Percy asked. "It should look good that I know so much. You should be glad I know so much too."
"We are, but there are some things you shouldn't say to the younger kids," Molly answered him. "And she might find it inappropriate that you know how babies are made. You're only nine."
"Knowledge is never inappropriate, but I won't say anything," Percy said. "I want Harry to stay too. I don't know why it's bad to know that though."
"Knowledge is never inappropriate," Fred mimicked.
Another minor argument broke out between the kids, but again, Harry smiled. He really hoped the Ministry lady would say it was okay for him to stay.
Everyday Molly felt nervous. What if the woman who was coming decided that they were unfit parents? She'd fallen in love with Harry. They'd only had him for a short time, but she loved him and she knew Arthur did too. It was hard not to. He was just such a sweet and polite child. She couldn't understand why anyone would want to harm a child, but why did they hurt Harry? Her children often asked her that question, but she asked herself the same thing. How could his aunt and uncle beat him willingly? How did they look into those beautiful innocent green eyes, and hurt him?
The children absolutely adored Harry. Ron remarked often that he loved having a brother his own age. Ginny was happy that she had yet another brother. Molly was surprised that her daughter didn't complain about being the only girl. She seemed to enjoy it, and she loved the fact that Harry was there too. The twins were already trying to get Harry to join in on pranks with them, though he hadn't really shown interest in that yet. The three oldest children seemed protective of Harry, and they'd accepted him as a little brother from the start. All three were willing to give stuff up for him. Percy read to him every single day. He enjoyed holding Harry in his lap while he did so, even though he wasn't all that much bigger than the younger boy.
All of this should have proven to the Ministry lady that they were a good fit for Harry. He was happy. He was likely the happiest he'd been in the last four years. Molly reckoned the last time he was truly happy was when he lived with his parents.
It was true that they had a lot of work to do with him. Often he would greet them in the mornings by apologizing for being a burden. Both Molly and Arthur knew they had to undo four years of abuse, but she felt that having a loving family was helping a lot. She also believed that if they took him away from them, all the progress they'd made with him would go away.
All of this was on her mind when there was a loud knock on the door. She turned to her third eldest son who was doing some first-year school work that Charlie had sent home. She grinned at him. He was such an ambitious little boy. He would likely know how to do all the first year school work in two years.
"Percy, could you go please keep the younger children busy? I think this might be the woman from the Ministry," she said.
"Okay," Percy replied quickly. "Want me to keep them downstairs in case she wants to talk to Harry?"
"Yes please dear," she replied. "They're all in the living-room right now. I think they're playing chess."
She quickly rushed to the front door as the knocking grew louder. What if this was used against them? She wished Arthur could be here, but he was at work. She opened the door to see a tiny elderly woman smiling up at her. She had her grey hair up in a bun.
"Good morning Mrs. Weasley," she said. "I'm here to observe Harry James Potter today. This is quite an interesting house."
A lot of people often found their house interesting. It had once been a pig pen. When they first moved in, it was only one story. As their family grew, they'd added stories wherever they could. It was a bit lopsided, and it was all held together by magic. The first time they'd taken Harry outside, he'd been too excited about flying to notice it. Later on however, as they were going back in, his mouth had dropped open while he stared at it.
"I live here?" He'd asked. "Brilliant!"
"We often get that response when people first come over," Molly told her stepping back to let her in. "Come on in out of the cold. The children are just playing in the living-room. Is there anything you need me to do?"
She felt nervous as she asked the last bit. As if sensing this, the woman reached her hand out to touch her arm.
"Do not be nervous Mrs. Weasley," she said. "My name is Marilla Hutchson, but you can call me Rilla. All my friends do. I'm just here to observe you and your children. You just need to be yourself. I will also be talking to Harry, and maybe the others. Later on, I will ask you some questions as well. Now, where is your husband?"
"He's at work, and you may call me Molly," Molly responded. "I was just cleaning up the dishes from breakfast. Would you like anything to drink?"
"No thank you, Molly," Rilla said. "If you could show me the living-room, that will be all. Just continue to do what you normally would do. I'll remind you, you do not need to be nervous. I'm used to parents reacting this way around me. I know you may think I am here to judge, but I'm not. All I'm doing is seeing whether or not this is a suitable home for Harry. So far? I like what I see."
Molly gave her a weak smile before leading her into the living-room. She liked what she saw so far? What did that mean? They weren't messy people, but the house was certainly cluttered. She'd meant to have it all cleared away before Rilla showed up, but she hadn't had time. A pile of blocks sat not too far from the front door, a couple of children's books were in the hallway, and Ron had left some crayons on the stairs. Yet, Rilla said she liked what she saw.
In the living-room, Percy was sitting with Ron and Fred while they were in the middle of a chess game. George, Harry, and Ginny were chasing after the flying Quidditch players. All six stopped what they were doing the moment the two of them walked in. Harry had a look of terror on his face.
"Good morning children," Rilla said. "Continue on with your play," she then smiled at Molly and then nodded at her. Molly took this as she should leave the room.
She wasn't used to someone else being in charge in her own home. It made her feel very uneasy, but she left the room to allow Rilla to do her job. She seemed quite friendly, but she could be doing what she could to make sure Molly was relaxed. She wished so much that Arthur could have stayed at home, but they couldn't afford for him to stay at home. Even without Harry, it wasn't a good idea.
She headed into the kitchen to finish cleaning. She was tempted to listen in on them with a spell, but thought better of it. The last thing she needed was for Rilla to catch her. She was certain that would be a strike against her.
"Come sit down beside me Harry," the woman, Rilla told him.
She patted the seat beside her on the couch.
She'd been watching him play with the Weasley's for a while now. At first, he'd been aware of her, but after a while, he was having too much fun and he forgot about her. He was only reminded of her presence when she called one of the Weasley kids over to talk to her. Now it was his turn.
Harry wasn't sure what to think of her. Sure she was very nice from what he'd seen so far. She reminded him a grandmother. However, she might decide that he wouldn't be allowed to stay here anymore. What if she decided to make him go back to his aunt and uncles? He needed her to understand what he didn't want to go back there.
"How are you doing today?" She asked him once he was beside her.
"I'm good," he answered. "Rilla. I wanna stay here. I like it a lot here, and I don't want to go back to my aunt and uncles."
"I doubt you'll go back to them," she said. "I have to meet up with them soon, but I don't think you'll return. Not too many people are happy about your treatment while you lived with them. The point to today's visit is to see if this is the right fit for you. If it's not, we'll find another home for you."
"I like it here," Harry told her.
"Would you like to tell me what you like about living here?" She asked.
Harry nodded, though he wasn't sure where to start! There were many reasons why he loved living here. He finally had brothers and a sister. He'd never had that with Dudley. He had people who seemed to like him even though they'd been strangers once. They'd liked him the day they'd met him for some reason. He was allowed to play here. If he made a mess, it was okay. He had a bed to sleep in, and he no longer lived in a cupboard! There were so many more reasons too. He was just very happy, and he didn't want to leave. He told her as much as he could.
"My mummy and daddy are dead, but Molly and Arthur want to be my mummy and daddy," Harry told her. "My aunt and uncle never wanted to be my mummy and daddy. They never wanted me, and they never liked me. Molly and Arthur wanted to be when they first saw me and they were strangers. I don't remember being loved ever Rilla, but now I know what it's like. I don't want to forget. Please don't make me forget."
Harry wasn't sure how else to get her to understand that he needed to be here. Maybe another family would be nice to him, but he wanted to be here! He'd started to love the Weasley's as well. He would be very sad to leave after he'd started to love them. He used to think that no one would ever love him or he'd ever love anyone. All he'd ever understood was that most people seemed to dislike or even hate him. This family didn't.
"Can I let you in on a secret Harry?" Rilla asked.
Harry nodded. He liked secrets. That meant people trusted him. Rilla didn't know him very well, but she trusted him already.
"I like this home a lot," she said. "I haven't been here for very long, but I can see that it's a very loving home. I haven't spoken long to Molly, and I still need to talk to Arthur, but I do like what I see so far. I can that this is a family who cares a great deal about each other and you as well. They already love you."
"So I can stay forever?" Harry asked.
"I have to do more observations, my dear, I don't want to make you any promises yet," Rilla answered. "All I can tell you is that I do like what I see so far. Unfortunately, it can't all be done in one day."
"But why wouldn't this be a good home for me?" Harry asked. "You said they already love me."
"There are other factors my dear. The Weasley's don't have a lot of money," Rilla said.
Harry already knew this family didn't have a lot of money, but he didn't care. When he'd lived at his aunt and uncles, he had to wear Dudley's too large clothes. He didn't care about new things. The toys Santa had given him weren't new, so why should he expect new stuff from this family? He knew already that if he stayed here he'd be wearing the older kids hand-me-down clothes. He didn't care at all. At least they would fit. At least he didn't have to do chores or get hit almost everyday. He said all this to Rilla.
"Tell me more about the toys from Santa, Harry," Rilla said. "You said they disappeared from your aunt and uncles but then appeared here?"
Harry nodded and then explained what happened Christmas morning, and then how the first morning he'd woken here, the toys had arrived.
"I think Santa knew that my aunt and uncle wouldn't want the toys there 'cause they were magical. I think Santa even knew I'd come here. Why else did The Weasley's find me? I think about it a lot, and I think Santa wants me here too."
"So the first morning you woke up here, your Christmas presents arrived," Rilla said.
Harry nodded. Hadn't she heard him the first time?
"Santa sent them here," Harry added.
"Would you mind if I talked about that with Molly?" Rilla asked.
"Is it bad?" Harry asked with worry now.
Did it mean that he couldn't stay here? Was it bad that Santa had sent for the Weasley's?
"Oh no not at all dear," Rilla replied, and she placed a hand on his knee. "I think it's a sweet story. I would just like to hear Molly's point of view on it, that's all. I really like that story, Harry."
Harry beamed at her. So it was okay then. He was glad to know that she liked that story. He thought he saw tears in her eyes, and he wondered why that was.