Disclaimer - See chapter one - five

A/N -Finally! It's finished! I need to do a dance of victory! I'm sorry about its lateness by the way. There's been so much that's been going on that I didn't even find time to write! Anyway, hope you enjoy this chapter!

Chapter Six

In the Hands of Giggling Girls

Ron woke slowly as sun was pouring in through the window. He smiled as he thought of the day ahead of him. He would get up, get Harry ready, hand him over to Lavender, then go back to bed for the rest of the day for some much needed sleep.

Suddenly Ron wondered why he was waking up. Usually something had to wake him up, but today he had woken himself. It must be late then. The dormitory was completely silent. All he could here were a few birds singing, a faint chatter from downstairs and breathing next to his ear.

His eyes flew wide open and he sat bolt upright in a panic, his heat beating painfully hard. A small giggle met his ears. He swung around to see Harry was sitting patiently right next to where his ear had been, obviously waiting for him to get up.

Ron shook his head a smiled ruefully at the fright Harry had given him.

"Little monster," he growled playfully, tickling Harry and listening as his laughter filled the room. "You scared me half to death!"

Ron picked the young boy up and changed him out of his pyjamas and into a shirt and some trousers. Harry's help was a bit more welcome then it had been when they had started doing this, because he had learned, at least, which buttons went in which holes. For some strange reason he still could not put his socks on the right way.

"Guess who you're going to see today Harry!" Ron said cheerfully. "Lavender and some of her friends are going to look after you!"

Harry's eyes widened and he sat up straighter.

"I be good!" he said earnestly.

Ron looked at him oddly.

"What?" he asked in confusion.

Harry slumped forward with a miserable look on his face.

"Won and 'Mione don' wan' me?" he asked.

"We do!" said Ron hastily. "It's just… everyone needs a day off sometimes, and today is our day off."

"Oh."

Harry fell silent anymore and moved away when Ron went to tickle him to get him to smile. It was a thoroughly miserable Harry Potter that Ron took down to the common room where the girls from last night and Ginny were waiting, talking to Hermione.

"Oh, Harry, what's wrong?" asked Hermione when she saw his upset face. She picked him up, noticing how hard he was clutching his bear. Strange, he didn't normally carry that around. "What happened Ron?"

"I don't know," said Ron, shaking his head helplessly. "One moment he was really happy, then he wasn't. He got a bit upset when I told him that Lavender was going to look after him today…"

"Ron," sighed Hermione. "He most likely thinks that since he was so naughty yesterday we don't want him anymore."

Harry nodded at Hermione's shoulder.

"We do want you Harry," Hermione assured him. "And we'll be coming to get you later this afternoon, okay?"

"'Kay," said Harry in a small voice.

Hermione smiled, hugged him, and gave him to Ginny. Then she and Ron walked out of the common room.

"Well, what do you want to do Harry?" asked Lavender.

"Go outside?" Harry asked tentatively.

All the girls except Ginny giggled and talked about how cute Harry was in low voices. Ginny rolled her eyes.

"Outside it is then!" she said. "But you can't go near the lake, alright Harry?"

"'Kay Gin-Gin," said Harry, considerably more cheerful now.

Ginny sang songs as she walked down the corridors to the surprise of the students, and Harry even joined in while the girls trailing them shot them glances.

"If you're happy and you know it clap your hands!" they sung loudly as they walked out the front doors, singing a muggle song Ginny's dad had taught her. Harry clapped his hands happily and they sung the song all the way down to the tree near the lake.

"Last stop!" Ginny announced and Harry giggled. "Everybody off!"

Ginny put Harry down on the ground and all the girls sat, watching him. Harry shot a longing look at the lake but, before Ginny could remind him not to go near it, he ran in the opposite direction and picked a white flower.

"Here Gin-Gin," he said cheerfully, giving the flower to her, then ran off to pick more, quite happy.

Ginny laughed as she watched Harry inspect the grass, and the leaves, and the flowers. He even inspected all the butterflies.

After awhile Ginny decided to go and get some breakfast from the kitchens.

"Look after him," she ordered the girls before leaving.

"Harry!" called Parvati when Ginny had disappeared into the castle.

Harry looked up and ran over. He smiled up at her.

"Aw!" she gushed. "How would you like to go near the lake?"

Harry's smile dropped and uncertainty entered his eyes.

"Gin-Gin says not 'lowed to," he said, taking a small step backwards.

"I think that she's being overprotective," said Parvati, waving a hand carelessly. "Nothing will happen to you Harry. Just keep close to us."

Harry looked up at her, but he didn't get much of a choice to say what he wanted to do before one of the girls took his hand and led him towards the lake.

"Look here," she said, gently leading Harry to the edge of the water.

Harry bent down and touched the water with tentative hands and then jerked back. The girls giggled and cooed. Soon Harry was sitting at the water's edge, splashing to his heart's content.

"HARRY POTTER!" came a furious yell. "What are you doing!"

Harry looked up innocently as Ginny came barrelling towards him, her face flushed with anger, a basket in one hand. She looked furious and the other girls moved away from her.

"I specifically told you not to go near the water!" she yelled at the startled toddler. "What if you slipped into the water and drowned? What is the giant squid got you? What is the grindylows got you? What would I tell everyone? 'Oh, sorry, I don't have Harry with me because he drowned in the lake'!"

Harry moved back from her, towards the water.

"Why did you have to actively disobey me Harry?" Ginny asked with a sigh. "You should do as you are told and I told you to not go near the water! Why did you go near it?"

"Parvi says you ober-potetive," Harry said. "She says okay."

Ginny's mouth fell open as she stared at Harry, who stared back at her apprehensively. She could have hit herself. She just yelled at Harry for something that wasn't even his fault! She swung around to face Parvati.

"You do know how dangerous the water is for a toddler, don't you?" she asked angrily. "Harry isn't a sixteen-year-old now! If he fell in the water, he can't swim back and save himself. He would drown!"

"I- I'm sorry Ginny," said Parvati abashedly.

Ginny opened her mouth to say something else but Harry cut her off.

"Gin-Gin!" he cried fearfully.

Ginny turned and felt her heart leap into her throat. Harry had still been sitting at the water's edge, she hadn't moved him. And a long-fingered hand had shot out of the depths of the sea and grabbed Harry's ankle, slowly dragging him into the water.

Ginny didn't think about her actions. She ran forward, threw herself down and grabbed hold of Harry under his arms, stopping his slow progress. Harry gripped her arms as tightly as he could and buried his face in the crook of her neck.

"Hang on Harry," Ginny murmured.

She dragged herself forwards and used one of her hands to try and break the grindylow's grip. But she couldn't and she could feel the hand tugging on Harry's leg. Not only that but Harry was slipping out of her grasp because he was so wet.

Desperately she tried to break the grip. But the grindylow obviously got tired and wrenched Harry straight out of her grasp and into the water before either of them had the time to scream.

"Go and get Lupin!" she yelled at the shell-shocked girls. "And Dumbledore, McGonagall, anyone!"

She dived into the water after Harry and saw him quickly slipping away into the darkness of the lake, struggling against the hand that held him. Ginny, being a strong swimmed, reach them in no time and grabbed Harry, who had run out of breath. She whipped out her wand.

"Stupefy!" she tried to yell, but she ended up swallowing a lot of water as a jet of hot water burst from her wand and hit the creature.

The hand slipped off and Ginny wasted no time in gathering Harry in her arms and swimming upwards. After what seemed an eternity she broke the surface of the water, coughing, and dragged Harry up to give him fresh air. His eyes were closed and his breathing was ragged.

The water is not a place for young kids, she thought wearily as she started the long trek back to shore.

Halfway back Harry coughed and opened his eyes, looking at her blearily.

"Gin-Gin!" he said, suddenly frightened.

"It's gone Harry," she soothed. "I got rid of it. I'll be having a few words with Parvati over this too, as I'm sure everyone else will. She nearly got you killed!"

Harry tried to move his arms and legs in an obvious attempt to help her swim back to shore, but he only hindered the process and tired himself and Ginny even more.

"Don't worry, I'll do the swimming," Ginny smiled at him. "And when we get back you can tell everyone about the exciting half-an-hour you spent with the giggling girls!"

"Gigging gi'ls no fun," said Harry, making a face.

Ginny laughed outright.

"No, they aren't," she agreed wholeheartedly.

When they finally reached the shore they found that Madam Pomfrey, Ginny's mum, Professors Dumbledore, Lupin and McGonagall, Ron and Hermione, holding Harry's bear, were waiting anxiously for them. They let out cheers when the two of them tiredly climbed out of the water and staggered over to them.

"That," said Ginny, shooting Parvati a dirty look. "Is an experience I never want to repeat, and never will repeat if I have anything to say about it."

"Are you both okay?" asked Mrs Weasley, checking her over as Madam Pomfrey took Harry and looked him over.

"I want you both to stay in the hospital wing today and tonight," Madam Pomfrey announced, giving Ginny a look that dared her to argue. "You're both going to need your strength for tomorrow and it will be better if I can keep an eye on the two of you."

Hermione was wringing her hands anxiously and she took Harry off the nurse, who was shivering in the cold now. Hermione wrapped him in her cloak, which she had gotten the moment Lavender came and told them what had happened. She gave him the bear and held the shivering boy closer to her.

"I'm sorry Harry," she murmured.

"'Mione done nothin' wong," Harry answered.

"We shouldn't have left," said Ron miserably.

"You need b'eak," Harry said in a scolding tone.

Hermione swung around to face Ron.

"What did you say to him?" she asked him angrily, while he looked on guiltily.

"Now is not the time for arguments," Dumbledore interrupted calmly. "It is more important that we get our youngest student ever to be at Hogwarts to the hospital wing."

Hermione immediately took off for the hospital wing and Ron sighed with relief.

"Don't think you're off the hook yet Ron," Ginny scowled as she passed him with her mother and he gulped.

Late afternoon found the two Weasley parents, Sirius, Remus, Ron and Hermione gathered around Harry's and Ginny's beds, which were side-by-side. Sirius was very white as he stared down at his sleeping godson.

"Are you okay Sirius?" Hermione asked gently, touching his arm.

"Yeah," sighed Sirius. "It's just… I think this is the first time I've realised how truly vulnerable Harry is in this state. And I can't bear the thought of anything happening to him. He was the one that helped me come back you know."

"What?" asked Ron, startled. "How?"

"Well, he wasn't there physically of course," said Sirius, looking out the window. "But it was almost like he was. And it wasn't just memories either. Whenever I was on the verge of giving up on getting out he'd appear, like a ghost, with that bright smile of his, and encourage me. 'Come on Sirius,' he'd say, grinning at me. 'A true marauder never gives up hope.' And I'd keep going."

Silence fell as Harry stirred slightly and put his thumb in his mouth and held his brown bear tightly, looking quite content. Then Ginny sighed and opened her eyes.

"Ginny dear?" said Mrs Weasley, sitting on her daughter's bedside. "How are you?"

Ginny looked at her tiredly for a moment before her eyes widened.

"Fine mum," she said dismissively, sitting up and leaning against her pillows. "How's Harry?"

"Sleeping."

Ginny nodded and gaze at the tiny face of the two year old Harry, starting slightly as she saw his thumb in his mouth.

"That's what I did when I first saw that," Ron chuckled.

Just then Harry stirred again and he took his thumb from his mouth, his green eyes fluttering open. He looked blearily at the wall for a moment and sat up, his eyes resting on each person in the hospital wing. His face lit up in happiness. Obviously he was quite happy to find people he loved standing by his bedside.

"Have a good sleep Harry?" asked Hermione kindly.

Harry smiled at her and nodded enthusiastically.

"Good," he declared and scrambled out of bed. "Feel better now. Go?"

Laughter erupted from everyone's mouths as little Harry stared at them in confusion.

"Don't you ever change Harry," chuckled Ron.

Coming Up - It seems Harry's temporary guardians, the girls, weren't that diligent in their task. Ron and Hermione still would like a break, so Dumbledore decides that now would be a perfect time to right past wrongs! Catch the next chapter Severus Snape, Babysitter Extraordinaire! (or not).

A/N - There, another chapter over and done with. To all who reviewed the last chapter, I'm terribly sorry that I'm not answering them this time, but I didn't have much time. Catch your reviews in the author's note in the next chapter though! Thanks for sticking with me all this way for those who are still reading it!