Disclaimer: see chapter 1. To clarify a year has passed and Ginny didn't take the diary to Hogwarts with her until her third year because she had been too caught up in the search for Harry Potter.
It was Harry's birthday, fourteen. A year ago he had lamented being thirteen but fourteen was a little better. At fourteen he could drink legally in the places where rich children enjoyed themselves, each other, and the drink. It also meant he had to start thinking about girls to court but he didn't want to think about that now. It seemed as though Harry was walking through a thick pudding, pushing but not really going anywhere. Well, he was going somewhere. He was going somewhere where he knew he shouldn't. He was going to drown his sorrows with wizarding absinthe and women. Not common women, if his so called parents found out they'd be upset. He didn't know why he cared but he did so he went to where high born women, well girls his age, went wild. He wanted to confront Peter, to yell and scream and curse. He wanted to but he didn't. Peter was almost a father to him, the only one he had ever known. It was true Peter had betrayed his parents but maybe his parents shouldn't have defied Voldemort with a son. At least that was what Galatea said and she was a mother now. He came upon the pub/ club/ place where bored rich children went to get drunk and enjoy each other. Unfortunately it was a faux-slumming place which was located on the dock ports near the actual slums. On his way there he heard a voice he hadn't heard in years.
"But we haven't got lice." Said Ron as an official picked through his hair. It was embarrassing not just for him but for his whole family. They had booked passage and found lodging to visit Remordere per his dad's request. The wanted to visit his brother Bill in Egypt but work had prevented his brother from accepting visitors, even if they were his own family. They couldn't only afford steerage tickets for their family as well as lodgings because they wanted to have some money left over for other things. Unfortunately steerage meant lower class and now they were not only seen as backwards mainland wizards but members of the servant class. The Weasley family had always been mocked for being poor but they had never been checked for lice, scabies, and whatever else these people thought they had.
"Just let them check you Ronald for goodness sakes!" said Molly Weasley as she held the family dog in place. Snuffles was trying to run away, probably just excitement she reasoned. She felt embarrassed but less so when she saw the other passengers getting checked as well. Many were natives to the island and looked even worse off than she was. She saw a women dressed a bit more nicely than the others flash something and avoid the check. She was then handed shrunken bags as a carriage pulled up.
"The House of Pettigrew thanks you for your service." Said Paulette as she climbed in. She had just been to the heredity research colony to tell Margaretta in person what Galatea had done. It wasn't entirely necessary but she enjoyed traveling now and again. It was the part about Margaretta and her husband Templeton that got to her. Sometimes she thought that Pettigrews married too close. She looked over at what appeared to be a family of red heads. Well, it was nice to know that they weren't the only inbred family in the wizarding world.
"Stay! Stay!" yelled Molly as Snuffles broke away from her. She drew her wand but Snuffles had already got into a crowd and out of sight. Arthur was promptly handed a citation for bringing a dangerous animal into Remordere. Sirius ran after the carriage. House of Pettigrew. Peter. He was going to find Peter and kill him. He chased the carriage through the busy streets not caring what happened. He was getting more and more of his human mind back as he chased the carriage. He vaguely noticed that he was being chased but that didn't matter to him. Unfortunately he didn't notice the fruit cart until it was too late. Why couldn't these people aparate like normal wizards?
"Snuffles! Stop!" yelled Ron as he caught up to his dog. He almost made it when he was grabbed by the back of his shirt. He looked and saw that the man was big but obviously poor. He looked at the mess his dog had made and realized what had happened.
"Someone's gotta be paying for this, Lad." Said the man not letting him go. Ron looked around but saw no sign of his family. They had disappeared into the thick crowd of carriages, vendors, and beggars. A lot of beggars he now noticed.
"I'll pay how much?" said Ron scared. He shook as he took all the money from his pockets which was mostly knuts. Why did they have to come here? Why? They could have maybe gone to Romania to see Charlie and maybe Hagrid's dragon Norbert.
"I'm only takin' our money boy. Notes. Can't be walking around jinglin' money get myself robbed I will." Said the man.
"I-I'm sorry I've only got this." Said Ron. He saw Snuffles trying to walk away but he had hurt his leg and seemed to have trouble even standing up.
"What's the damage?" asked Harry. He had watched the scene with interest and now felt that it was his time to intervene. He hadn't seen Ron for years and had found memories of the boy. That and he craved male company. Portia, Persephone, and Galatea was nice but they were girls. Well, technically Galatea was a Lady now which meant that she had power. So far she had only claimed property and named her son the heir. That and paid to have the heirs ring removed from Timothy's stomach. At on he was eating everything in sight.
"Quite a bit I'm afraid." Said the man. He looked Harry up and down and realized that this was a boy with money. His wife had cursed that club for opening but it did bring rich brats with no sense but plenty of money down.
"Will this cover it?" said Harry holding out more money than he knew was owed. It was only money and he did have more. That was one god thing about keeping up the charade, unlimited wealth.
"Yes, quite nicely." Said the man as he threw Ron down. Ron went over to see if Snuffles was alright even though he knew he wasn't.
"Could be broken." Said Harry. He remembered that dog from somewhere, it was like a memory from a dream. He knelt down as inspected the dog's leg.
"thanks for that back there. I-I'm Ron Weasley." Said Ron extending his hand. Harry laughed a little in his mind, he knew not to do it out loud because Ron at eleven could e easily offended. Ron was taller now, his hair was longer and his build fuller. Harry on the other hand was still skinny but not as much and his wild hair had grown out enough to have to be tied back.
"You don't remember me?" asked Harry his voice still breaking. He hated it at thirteen and he hated it now even though his voice was mostly evened out at this point.
"Um…" started Ron. Harry held up a hand to stop him. Ron looked at him for a moment and failed to notice the 'P' on his shirt.
"Harold Po-Pettigrew. Hogwarts?" Said Harry. A look of realization drew across Ron's face. This was Harold Pettigrew. Harry. He wondered if he knew what happened to Harry Potter. Ginny had been so caught up in Harry Potter being missing that she even forgot about that book she had been obsessed with.
"Harry? Man, you grew up. Where's your sister?" Said Ron. Harry had almost never been without his sister Portia during their Hogwarts days. Harry was tempted to tell him that he had no sister but though against it.
"She's at home. What are you doing here?" asked Harry
"Dad won some money at his job and he wanted to come here because everyone lives like muggles. Dad reckons it's because most people here are squibs." Said Ron tactlessly. Harry resisted the urge to tell him that it was better than writing with quills and using open torches as light. He was getting moody lately.
"We have a high population of squibs because we have a higher population in general." Said Harry
"Well I guess that makes sense. What happened at Hogwarts? Why'd you leave so suddenly?" asked Ron. He knew what had happened, there was a face growing out of the back of Quirrel's head and then Harry had left. Around this time Harry Potter's muggle relatives had been found and they said they hadn't seen the boy in months.
"My parents thought that it would be better to educate me here in light of the circumstances." Said Harry
"Well he haven't had any other teachers possessed." Said Ron
"Is that what they said happened?" asked Harry. He now knew that Quirrel had been harboring the soul of Voldemort who had left him when he outlived his usefulness. Time travel had its advantages.
"Yeah, they said he picked up an evil spirit in Albania who was stealing his life force to grow a new body or something." Said Ron. Sirius had been starring at Harry in awe the whole time. Even with the blonde hair and slightly altered appearance this must have been Harry. Peter must have stolen him from his muggle relatives and trained him to be dark. He knew that Peter didn't have a son that age and it had to be Harry. He ignored the stabbing pain in his legs and went to Harry.
"Come with me, I'll take that dog to my house and have him healed up. He was an animal haler on hand and it's about time he had something else to do besides livestock." Said Harry being reckless. Just because he wasn't going to give up the charade didn't mean that he was going to be the perfect little boy. He knew how class conscious Addie was and Ron was clearly poor.
"Sure!" said Ron without thinking. He knew, vaguely, that he should have been back with his family but he reasoned that he'd find them later and that they had found some muggle thing to do. Besides, snuffled needed medical attention. He followed Harry as they hailed a carriage and went on their way to the House of chased the chaaa