AN: This chapter is a LONG one. just over 11k, so I hope it is worth the wait. There is a big lore drop in the beginning, building out how the magic works. We have the Weasley's arrival and more. You'll see.

This chapter took forever because it has some pivotal plot decisions. I must have written this chapter completely over five times, taking it in a different direction each time. I hope you like the version I chose. I'll see you at the end of the chapter for some more notes that are too spoilery for this chapter to include here. Until then, Happy reading! #nobetawedielikemen

Chapter 18 Weasley Weekend Whimsy pt.1

The next morning found the trio once more on the grass. But today, they were celebrating as Neville made his connection to wild magic.

They had just finished their second pass in their first form when a deep green colour began gathering at Neville's feet. As it rose, they began to see flecks of a shimmery brown. The overall effect made it look like dewy moss. Neville was so startled by the appearance he lost the connection.

They spent the next few minutes encouraging him, and sure enough he was able to bring it back.

"Well done, Neville. Very well done. Few wizards ever make this intentional connection to magic. From here it will be how to tap into this resource at will and do so safely," Master Sun said.

Hermione was happy for Neville. She really was. But, it also stung that she hadn't achieved her manifestation yet.

Harry seemed to understand Hermione's silence and stiff smile and asked Master Sun, "Sir? I think I can help Hermione feel her connection. Can you watch us while I try? Just in case? Or would that be okay? I don't want you to think we're cutting corners."

"This first step is both the least important and the most important. If someone cannot make their connection then they cannot progress. However it matters little HOW they learn this. If you think you can help her, and she agrees, I will allow it. However, you should know, I have seen flashes of her magic, I believe she will get there in time."

Harry looked back to Hermione, "It's up to you. Do you want to keep at it as we have or I can see if I can help?"

Hermione looked torn. On one hand, she wanted to do this on her own merit, but on the other, she didn't want to be left behind. She sighed. "If you think you can help, there's no harm in trying. Sometimes I think I can feel it…but it's fleeting. It's incredibly frustrating." She stomped a foot with a slight pout.

Harry stood in front of her so they were facing each other. "Remember when we first got here and I didn't know how to get recognized by the gates?"

"Yes…"

"Well that was actually where I got to feel the magic outside of myself. Though, now that I think of it, I could also feel it when I first entered Hogwarts or Diagon alley."

"So how does that help here?"

"I think you are making your connection but the feeling is so subtle you aren't sure what's just your magic and the wild magic. So you can't grasp that connection point for it to manifest. I think I can make my connection and then just make the magic…louder, so you can get a better feel for yourself. Wanna try?"

Hermione got a determined look and nodded. "Let's do it."

Harry had her close her eyes and start her breathing exercise. Harry felt for the magic that surrounded them and drew it closer in his mind. When he felt like a cloud of magic surrounded them he told Hermione, "Now reach out with your magic. Feel the energy that is around you, ready to become anything you want it to be. It's just there waiting for you."

Harry felt for his connection with Hermione and tried to share how it felt for him when he connected to the raw magic.

"As soon as you feel it, let it flow through you. Doing the form helps here, come on."

Hermione kept her eyes closed and slowly started moving through their form. Harry moved beside her and did the steps in tandem.

It didn't take long once Hermione started moving. A beautiful blue began swirling around her. It was a deep midnight blue with wide wisps of light mother of pearl sheen. Harry thought it was almost like seeing a night sky during an aurora borealis, if the aurora was opalescent.

"Open your eyes," Master Sun said gently.

Hermione opened her eyes, and like Neville, gasped and lost her connection. But not before getting to see she had been successful.

"EEEE! Thank you, Harry!" Hermione squealed and threw her arm around Harry in a hug.

Harry chuckled and patted her back. "Knew you could do it. All together this time?"

The trio all dropped back into their stances; each allowing their magic to manifest around them as they tapped back into it.

When they were finishing, Hermione asked, "Sir? So what good does the manifesting do us? I mean, it's very pretty, and I'm glad I can see proof of my connection, but how does it help us?"

"You will not manifest every time to tap into the wild magic around you. Right now it shows because you are essentially pulling in more magic than your body needs, causing your own magic to hover outside yourself. Our goal is to train and learn to draw in this resource so that you can cast stronger magic or cast for longer periods of time. Now, magic folk do this naturally to a certain extent, which is why you are able to inherently cast. Everyone has a different level at which they are able to cast their inherent magic before they become exhausted.
It's like how some materials are more conductive to electricity. You as a witch are conductive to magic; it moves through you freely. But you are also like a battery, storing up some of this in your person, and the battery is slowly, naturally recharging by how conductive you are. What we are learning is how to hardwire yourself to that current so you can tap into it at will to cast what you wish without over draining your battery. Does that make sense?"

"I think I follow. So when we are manifesting, we are making ourselves more conductive and it is automatically overcharging us a little because we aren't depleted yet in any way," Hermione simplified.

"Correct."

Harry seemed to follow but Neville looked slightly confused. "I don't get the reference but I think I get it?" Neville said.

Master Sun conjured a small illusion in front of them. A miniature rainbow mist appeared in a stream. "Think of this as the wild magic." He then conjured three tiny humanoid outlines just above it, each filled with a swirl of the magic.

"Now as they cast," the small figures pointed wands and magic slowly drained out of them as it flowed from the wands in showy displays of fireworks. Each at a different rate. "When they stop casting, look close." The figures stopped and they could see the rainbow stream slowly seep up into the figures, but it was slower than the magic had left them.

"Now watch when they are able to tap into the stream intentionally." The figures began casting again, but this time each time they casted a spell, they drew in from the rainbow stream. They only drained a tiny bit, and when they stopped casting, they were refilled by the regular trickle they were getting before.

"Does that help?" Master Sun asked, dismissing the illusion.

All three children stood wide eyed. Neville nodded. "Yes, sir. And if I may say so, that was brilliant!"

Master Sun chuckled. "Thank you. Funnily enough I learned that from what you call muggles. Non Magic people. They have many wonderful depictions of what magic can be. They have a game where one of the players can pretend to be a wizard and they have a list of 'spells' for them to use in play. That one was called minor illusion. I thought it sounded useful and spent some time practising how to do it."

Harry looked intrigued at this but Hemione was concerned and asked, "Isn't spell craft dangerous?"

"It can be. But I wasn't crafting a spell, so much as learning to bend magic for me personally, as I cannot teach you a wand movement and incantation to replicate what I did. Not dissimilar to what you and Harry did with the letters, no?"

Hermione pinkened slightly. "Of course, Sir. So is that more safe? To experiment with, I mean?"

"There can still be some inherent dangers, however, we will go over those next week. I've taken up enough of your morning and I believe you are to have friends this afternoon? Off you go for your run," Master Sun dismissed them and they took off at a run for the pond.

When they reached the halfway point and slowed to walk together, Harry asked, "That was super cool. I wonder if we will learn to do more things wandless like that, or what we will do now that we got to the first goal."

"I know! I mean, I know he said we would likely reach this part fairly quickly, but hearing about it and actually feeling that connection…It was amazing!" Hermione gushed.

"It was so warm and tingly. I felt..powerful," Neville added.

Harry nodded in agreement. "I find it very calming, the steady hum. Once I felt it, it's like I can always feel it around me now."

Hermione and Neville considered this.

Neville was first to speak up, "I'm not sure I'm there yet. I can feel it when we are doing our form now, but not all the time."

Harry looked surprised. "Really? Well it is your first day really doing it. We haven't been at this for long. I'm sure it will come the more you connect."

"True."

Since this was their first duelling practice, as they skipped last week due to the full moon, Remus decided to ease into it. "Do you remember our spells we have been practising in defense?" he asked.

The trio nodded.

"Expelliarmus." "And Protego." Harry and Hermione supplied.

"Correct. The disarming charm and the shield charm. We might be casting those again today if we have time, but first: for duelling, the spells you cast matter very little if you can not get them to hit. To hone that skill you'll be doing accuracy drills."

For the next hour and a half, Remus had them shooting at targets around the duelling room. First just standing a few metres away, then from across the room. Then as they were moving; they had to run down the line and hit three in a row. Lastly, Remus cast the levitation charm on the targets and moved them around; they had to run again and hit three while they were both moving.

It took some doing. Many spells went wide or fell short, but Remus was encouraging while he coached them through it. The kids motivated each other as well. By the time they had each had a few turns at each style, it was nearing the time Remus was expected at the Weasleys.

"Alright, I think that's a good stopping point. Well done, Neville, and well done you two. We will keep doing these drills and hopefully we can add in some actual duelling as well. An excellent start though I'd say."

Everyone went in different directions then, Remus went to look for Sirius. Hermione said her goodbyes and was headed home. She was going to get cleaned up and return with her parents in a few hours. Neville was headed straight for the shower after the back to back workouts. Harry went to the office while he waited his turn for the shower.

Harry greeted his grandpa Henry and took out the ward book. He quickly added in Ron, Fred, and George, and after thinking, added Mr. Weasley as well.

"Alright there Lad? You've been staring at those names for a solid minute," the portrait above him said.

"Oh. Yeah. It's just, I haven't seen them in about a month, and just so much has happened. What if he doesn't want to be my best friend anymore?"

"Well, relationships are work, Harry. Especially friendships, you got to…you know I'm not very good with advice actually. Stay here, I'll just.." Grandpa Henry walked out of his frame.

Harry was expecting him to return with one of the other portraits, but instead he heard footsteps behind him.

"Harry? Everything okay? Henry came and said you needed me," Remus leaned against the doorframe looking over Harry with concern.

"Oh, I didn't mean for him to bother you. I had just.."

"It's no bother," Remus reassured him firmly. "I have a few minutes before I leave to get Ron and his brothers."

Harry sighed, staring down at the patterns of the rug. "It was about him actually. Ron. It's been about a month of craziness since I've seen him. What if with everything he doesn't want to be my best friend any more."

"The people worth having in your life will stand by you. Even when you fight. Even when you disagree. It's okay to not get along sometimes, as long as you always treat each other with respect. Trust that Ron will come around, you may not be giving him enough credit."

"I feel like I worry about everything these days," Harry murmured to his shoes.

"I tend to be the same way. Sometimes it feels like there are more ways something can go wrong than it can go right. But when I start feeling that way, I think of your father, doing his best impression of your grandmother, saying 'don't borrow grief from tomorrow.' It brings a smile to my face every time and it's solid advice."

Harry chucked at his impression.

"If you have something bothering you, you are always welcome to come talk to me or Sirius. We would happily do any worrying on your behalf so you don't have to."

"Thanks. For everything too. I'm not sure if I ever thanked you for just packing up and going along with us. You're the first adult to trust me..and I..It just means a lot. Thank you."

Remus pushed off from the door jam and offered his arms out to Harry for a hug. Harry shuffled forward until he was enveloped in the warmth of Remus's embrace.

"You're welcome, Harry. And thank you for trusting me. It goes both ways. I'm here when you need me."

Remus gave him a gentle squeeze and stepped back. "Everything else good here? The boys are all added to the ward book?"

"Yes, I just added them. I added their dad as well, just in case. Oh! Here," Harry took off the portkey from around his neck and passed it to Remus, "you'll probably need this."

Remus pocketed it and smiled. "Yes I suppose that would be important. I should be going, Arthur will be expecting me. You okay? I can stall bringing them over if you need more time."

"I'm good. I am excited for them to be here. Can you make sure the twins remember to bring their brooms? We were planning on flying around a bit."

"Can do. I'll be back in a flash."

Remus jogged back downstairs and Harry heard the front door open and close.

Harry was unsure what to do with himself while he waited. He had never had friends over just to visit him before. Like a real sleepover. Neville was staying with them while his gran was busy and Hermione slept over a bit but it wasn't really a sleepover.

Dudley had had sleepovers before. It mostly consisted of him and a friend pushing Harry around before eating dinner and playing video games in Dudley's room all night surrounded by snacks and junk food.

Harry wasn't sure Dudley should be the metric with which he should measure anything, but he had seen glimpses of sleepovers on tv and stuff a few times. Getting an idea, Harry ran off to send a letter to Mrs. Granger and have a talk with his elves.

Remus stepped out of the green flames just as he stopped spinning, taking care to vanish the soot so as to not track it into the Weasley's living room he was now standing in.

Arthur shook his hand as he stepped through. "Ah, Perkins! You made it. I have that book I borrowed from you just out in the shed. Molly made some cookies she wanted me to send with you too. We can grab them in a moment."

Arthur brought his finger to his lips, and pointed to the back door. Unsure what else to do, Remus quickly followed him outside and into the shed. Arthur drew his wand and seemed to put up a ward. Remus drew his as well and said, "An extra to ensure we aren't heard."

After his ward was cast Remus turned back to Arthur. "What's happening, is everyone alright? Their mother didn't change her mind did she? Harry would be gutted."

The man ran a shaky hand through his thinning red hair. "No, I have them waiting in the twins' room at the moment. Remus, how long would you say a common rat lives for?"

Bemused Remus answered reflexively, "Uh I think about a year and a half. Maybe two at the most."

"Right. Well. Merlin, where do I even start?" He dropped his head into his hands. "Okay," Arthur began again, "Okay, so you know how I was a part of the tribunal?"

Remus nodded.

"And we cleared Sirius of the murder charges?"

Remus nodded again.

"But that meant we had to reopen the case for Pettigrew, and you remember the testimony Black gave regarding him?"

Remus's face grew darker but nodded once more.

"He's a RAT animagus. He would be missing a digit on the front foot where he cut off his finger." Arthur was slowly becoming more frantic. "I never thought about it. I never questioned it, I thought maybe Molly was switching them out. But no. It's the same one. Missing the same toe! I had no idea until Ron complained he seemed sick and was losing weight. Asked if we could get him looked at, and I realised how long it had been. He's been right here for ages! I..I"

"Arthur! What are you saying?" Remus asked, almost afraid to hear him say it.

"Pettigrew. Percy found a rat in the garden. He was missing a toe. That was over six years ago. Percy gave him to Ron when Percy made Prefect and we got him an owl!"

"You think Peter is here and has been pretending to be your sons' house pet?"

Arthur nodded miserably.

"Why haven't you called the aurors!?"

"Because if I'm wrong and I raise the alarm, this could end up ruining what little respect I have gained in the ministry. Honestly even if it ends up being true I stand to end up with a fair amount of egg on my face. We harboured a criminal in our home for years!"

"Okay so what is your plan here? Because if you don't have one, that rat is going to disappear off the face of this earth and his file destined for the cold case pile. He's the reason I lost..Fuck!" Remus gripped his wand and clenched his eyes shut trying to rein in his temper.

"I know. I know. I was going to try and check myself but I don't know any spell that detects them. I have him trapped in his cage upstairs. I made it unbreakable and locked it. I told Ron I would have him looked at while he was gone."

"What do you need from me? You want me to tell you if it's him? You want me to cast the spell? What?"

"Do you know a detection spell or reversal?"

Remus nodded. "I do know the reversal, I used to have to help them if they got stuck in the early days. I know one detection but it's not foolproof."

"Then I just need you to teach me the spell and then get my boys out of here. Molly is out with Ginny and Percy for the afternoon. If I'm right and it is Pettigrew, I will call the aurors. Just keep my boys safe while I deal with this."

Remus struggled with this. He wanted to rush the stairs and make the traitor pay himself.

"He can't get out where I have him. Harry needs you guys. Don't make Sirius's mistake. Help me, and if it's him, the aurors will have him," Arthur pleaded, seeing the look on Remus's face.

"Right. You're right. Okay, the spells are simple enough, here," Remus said, shaking himself. He quickly took Arthur through the spells.

When he was confident he could cast them, he led Remus back into the house.

"Do you have portkey wards?" Remus asked.

"No, why?"

"If the boys are ready, I have a portkey here to where we're going, we can just leave from the twin's bedroom. You said that's where they are? Oh and Harry asked me to remind them to bring brooms."

Arthur nodded. "Yes, they should have everything. I brought them up their brooms just before you got here. Follow me."

They passed through the kitchen and ascended the stairs up to a small landing. Arthur knocked twice and opened the door. "Boys! Get your things. This is Remus, he'll be taking you to Harry's."

Remus followed him in and watched the three of them eye their father with light suspicion before each slinging bags over their shoulders, and the twins each picking up a broom.

"Okay, behave yourselves. I mean it, Fred. George. Good. I love you; have fun. Say hullo to Harry for me."

Remus removed the portkey from his pocket and held it out. "We'll be going by portkey. Hang on tight to your things. When you're ready, grab hold."

"Bye, Dad."

"Yeah, see you."

"Bye."

The boys each said as they moved forward to touch the necklace. Remus hesitated only a moment to share a look with Arthur before activating the portkey with a sigh.

Harry was waiting at the gates for his friends to arrive. He thought after the shower and last minute arrangements he made with the elves and such, they would already be here, but Harry still found himself with time to wait. He was just starting to worry when four figures arrived in a swirl of colour.

Ron fell off balance and had crashed into Fred. George tried to keep them up but got tripped up by the brooms.

"Ruddy Portkeys! Ouch, Fred! Watch your elbows." Ron grumbled as he disentangled from Fred and stood, dusting himself off.

Harry grinned. "Honestly I'm glad it's not just me. I knocked us all over when we came here."

"Harry!" Ron called excitedly, noticing him.

"Hiya, Harry," The twins said together.

Remus ushered them all within the gates and said "I'll leave them with you, Harry. I have to run and find Sirius real quick."

"Oh sure, he's inside," Harry said as Remus clasped his shoulder and set a brisk pace for the house.

Before Harry could focus on Remus's odd behaviour he was surrounded by Weasleys. He felt a pair of hands ruffle his hair and pat him on the back.

"Good to see you guys. You want to fly up to the house? I have loads to tell you."

Ron's ears turned a bit red. "Uh actually I wasn't able to bring a broom. I usually ride Charlie's old broom, but one of his friends borrowed it and they haven't returned it yet."

"Oh, no problem. You can ride mine and I'll ride my dad's old school broom. I brought it out in case Remus wanted to fly back, but he took off so fast." Harry walked over to where he had laid the two brooms beside the gate and passed his Nimbus over to Ron.

"You sure, Harry? I can ride that one," Ron offered with wide eyes.

"Nah, you've been wanting to have a go on that one anyway. Now's the perfect time. Just follow me." Harry mounted his broom and hovered while he waited for the others to do the same. Ron adjusted his overnight bag and threw a leg over the Nimbus with an excited smile.

Once they were all in the air Harry took off at an easy pace toward the house. When they drew close, Harry said, "Welcome to the Potter Moor Manor. There's plenty of room to fly and there's a pond round back here we can swim in." Harry took them in a loop around the grounds and showed them the pond, then brought them in for a landing up on the veranda.

"Blimey, Harry. This place is huge." Ron said as he landed.

"I know right? I had no idea this place existed. This is the house my dad grew up in. It's been in the family for generations. There are portraits of my grandparents here, they have been telling me a little about the family."

"Can you imagine having portraits of our aunts in the Burrow?" George said.

"Merlin, we'd never know peace," answered Fred.

Ron shuddered. Harry chuckled.

"You guys hungry? I can bring you up to speed over a snack."

"We could always eat."

"Especially Ron."

"Hey!"

Harry smiled, feeling more at home. He called for Kylix and asked if he could serve them a light snack on the veranda.

When the elf had popped away, Ron asked, "You have a house elf!?"

"There were two here when I arrived. They had taken a potion that put them in some kind of stasis with the house…I don't really understand it. I know there used to be a couple more elves, but they moved on to serve a different family. Kylix was the one that you just saw and Hydria is also around here somewhere. They wanted to stay. You can call for them if you need help finding anything."

"Wow, I wish we had a house elf. I'd never have to de-gnome the garden again!" Ron joked.

A platter of tea sandwiches and cups filled with water appeared on the table before them. They each tucked in. Once Harry was a few bites in, he said, "I have so much to tell you I don't even know where to start."

"We heard about the muggles," said Fred.

"Sorry for your loss," George added. Ron nodded as if to say: me too.

"Thanks. I don't know. I haven't really processed that part of this yet. Like I'm glad I never have to go back there, but I'm also sad they died. Even if they never liked me, I didn't want them to die. Especially not because of me."

"So what really happened? The papers and wireless were vague on the details, it mostly focused on the you being dead part." Ron said with a frown.

"It was pretty brutal," George agreed.

"I wasn't there when it happened," Harry said. He told them what happened when he left Kings Cross.

When he got to the part about meeting Remus he added. "I wasn't sure who to reach out to. I thought of you first, but I didn't know where your house was, or how long it would take for Hedwig to take a letter to you. I ended up calling Hermione on a muggle phone. It connects people almost instantly. She and her parents weren't far so they turned around to come get me. We found out about the explosion later that night."

"We would have come for you. But, it makes sense why you reached out to Hermione."

Harry did his best to recount everything else from there. From the trip to Gringotts up to inviting Neville.

"Neville sent me a letter the same day you did. I replied to you both but with all this craziness and not trusting Dumbledore, I just had a bad feeling he may have tried to get to him. I invited him over to stay while his Gran is busy with her brother."

"He's doing these lessons and stuff with you and Hermione?" Ron asked, his face slightly pinched.

"Yeah, I mean only some of it is new stuff because it's taking longer for my wand magic to go back to normal than we expected. I kinda freaked out and lost control the week we got Sirius here. I was overwhelmed and my magic went a little wild…Hermione tried to help." Harry sighed. "She grabbed me and something weird happened with our magic. It's like tangled now or something. Sometimes I can feel her emotions or she can feel mine."

Seeing Harry's broken expression Ron attempted to cheer him up. "Well, at least it's Hermione. I still think she's mental, but at least it's good mental. Worst you'll get is fretting if you wrote a long enough answer on your charms test."

The twins rolled their eyes at Ron's attempt.

"Sirius has been teaching us occlumency to help keep everything sorted but its work in progress."

"How did all that stuff with Black go?" Fred asked, changing the subject.

"Yeah, dad came home. Made mum turn off the wireless. Told us he was innocent," George continued.

"And that he was actually your Godfather and that you were staying with him!" Fred finished.

"Mum had a moment. I thought for sure she was going to change her mind about letting us come over. Dad was able to talk her around," Ron said.

Harry continued his story from learning Sirius broke out of Azkaban to the visits with Madame Bones and the tribunal.

"He's doing better but we still have to go to see some healers. And apparently Dumbledore found out about that part, so we will likely have to talk to him soon."

"That's still crazy about Dumbledore. No one ever questions him. He must just be used to doing whatever he wants," Ron said.

"I'll let you know how it goes. We are supposed to go in next week. But yeah, that's been my summer so far."

"And I thought the dragon, troll, three headed dog, devil's snare, and killer chess board was a lot," Ron joked with a fake wince.

"We should give Ron a calming draught more often," George quipped.

"Yeah, he's almost funny when he's like this," Fred said.

"I knew that the juice you gave me was spiked!"

"Duh. You were running around the house freaking out about everything."

"Dad was either acting strange or just didn't know what to do when mum left."

"Then you were stuck in our room bouncing off the walls."

"We had to do something."

"Ron's been potioned?" Harry asked.

"We had a bit left over after we put some in Mum's tea this morning. She started fretting again and we didn't want her to change her mind at the last minute. Just a bit of calming draught. He was worrying about everything for no reason. He's fine," Fred reassured him.

That explains why he seems to be taking everything in stride, or maybe Remus was right and I just wasn't giving him enough credit, Harry thought to himself.

Ron squabbled with his brothers for a moment over spiking his drink before they settled enough for Harry to suggest heading inside for a house tour.

Since they were already on the 3rd floor Veranda, Harry took them inside via the sun room and into the game room.

"Hermione and her parents will be over soon. I know they said they would be here for dinner and games."

Harry led them down a floor and pointed out Sirius and Remus's rooms before stopping in front of his own. "You can drop your bags off here if you'd like, so you don't have to carry them around." Seeing Neville lounging on his bed, Harry waved him over. "Hey Nev, We were just headed down to show them the rest of the house if you wanna join."

Neville closed his book and set it aside, waving to the other boys. "Sure, happy to. Hi, guys!"

"Hey, Neville. How's Trevor?" Fred asked.

"Oh, you remembered? He's good. We have a little frog pond in the greenhouse back home. I left him there. I think he prefers it to Hogwarts."

The Weasleys dropped their bags inside the door and followed Harry and Neville downstairs.
Harry stopped in the foyer to introduce them to Gran Beatrice's portrait. Once they had been introduced, Harry pointed out the Library and ballroom (though they didn't go inside,) and finished by showing them the kitchen and family room. As they were completing the tour, Harry felt the wards shift. "Oh, just in time. The Grangers have arrived, come on."

He led them back through the house toward the front door. When they reached the foyer, Harry heard voices from the library. "Uh, do you guys mind greeting the Grangers for me? I should go let Sirius and Remus know they're here."

The twins shrugged and said together, "Lead on, Neville."

Neville looked slightly startled being put on the spot but he stood tall and led the other boys toward the gates.

When the door closed behind them, Harry turned toward the library. He hurried over and gently opened the door so as to not immediately alert the adults inside of his presence.

Harry nearly gasped at what he saw. It looked like an earthquake had hit just the library; there were books thrown about everywhere. One table was overturned and its surrounding chairs looked to have been thrown against the bookshelves. This must have caused much of the mess of books along the floor.

Sitting amongst the book rubble were Sirius and Remus. They were sitting on the floor and had their arms wrapped around each other. Harry could only see Sirius's face at this angle, and could see tears on his face. Thinking he may have had a relapse in memory again, Harry rushed forward, no longer worrying about being seen.

"Sirius?" Harry spoke softly, just in case he was still confused.

Remus pulled away quickly and tried to put space between him and Sirius, but Sirius was having none of it. He kept a firm but gentle hold of Remus's hand, using his other hand to wipe his face. "Harry. I'm sorry. You okay?"

Harry raised an eyebrow. "Am I okay? Are you okay? Did you have another…did you think you were back in prison?"

Sirius stared at him so long Harry was beginning to worry he wasn't going to answer. Finally Sirius shook his head. "No. Nothing like that. But, I don't know if I want to tell you what set off all of this. And I was thinking how I just promised you we wouldn't have secrets between us." Sirius scrubbed a hand over his face again, taking a deep breath.

Harry just stared as Sirius collected himself.

"We got a possible lead on the rat, however we don't have any sure information right now. I can tell you if the lead pans out, he will be immediately handed over to the aurors. I can give you more details, but I think it would be better if you waited until we knew more. I'll let you decide if you can wait or not. I think you're old enough to grant you that. Think before you answer."

Harry stopped to consider this, the instruction to think first was enough to tamp down his instinct to want all the information now. But at the same time he trusted Sirius, and Sirius had given him the key point. Sirius was trusting him to decide if he could handle the details now, without knowing if the lead panned out. Before Harry answered he asked, "What happened to the library?"

"I may have lost my temper and Remus and I did some yelling, I had a lot of pent up anger regarding this subject and threw some things to make myself feel better," Sirius answered, sounding a bit detached.

Remus murmured just above a whisper, "I flipped the table. Sorry. It's a charged subject. But we didn't throw things at each other. That's important."

"Yeah, of course. Remus and I weren't fighting so much as raging at the subject and our inability to avenge our friends."

"Okay. I guess I'll wait until there's more to know then. Unless we don't hear anything by lunch on Monday? I think that's fair." Harry paused, offering Sirius a small smile at his approving look. "Well the Grangers just arrived so I should go hang out. Do you need anything?"

"We'll be okay. I'm sorry you had to see this. I promise my usual reaction to bad news isn't to wreck a room." Sirius sighed again. "I'll do better."

"Yeah, better get this sorted before Hermione sees," Harry joked, shuddering dramatically. He called on the magic in the room and urged it to put itself right. Most of the fallen books began to soar back into their spots on the shelves. The table righted itself. And the chairs all tucked themselves back in around the table.

The inkwells were still smashed and one of the shelves on the messiest bookshelf looked broken, the books belonging to that shelf still littered the floor.

Harry shrugged, "Well, that will get you started at least. I guess I'll see you guys later? I mean…take the time you need." Harry hurried out the double doors to find his guests.

"He has no idea how extraordinary his connection to magic is," Remus said as he stood up. Using the hand that was still in Sirius's, he pulled Sirius to his feet as well. "That could have gone better."

"Could have gone worse, too," Sirius grumbled once he was on his feet.

"Harry made a very mature choice," Remus said, trying to sound casual.

"He did. He's showing us how much he trusts our judgement too. Even after seeing all this." Sirius gestured to the remaining mess. He took out his wand and repaired the broken shelf; a second wave had the fallen books tucking themselves back into their places.

Remus cleaned the ink mess and then turned to take in Sirius's noticeably blank face. Leaning his hip on the nearby table and crossing his arms he started, "Sirius-"

"No, Moony," Sirius said, cutting him off. "We have a house full of people and I can't do this right now."

"This being?"

"This. Feeling helpless. Dealing with all the shit that comes with thinking about him. The anger. The guilt. I can't. Right now Harry needs me to have my shit together so he can have a fun weekend with his friends. I'll process later." Sirius cast a final look around the room to ensure they had not missed anything. Seeing nothing else amiss he started toward the door.

As he made to pass, Remus gently reached out and pulled him in close. "Us. Harry needs us. He also understands now why we might be a bit distracted. I can ask the Grangers to stay if you want. They were unsure if they were going to or not, but if we want an extra set of hands to help with the kids, I'm sure they won't mind."

Sirius allowed himself to sink into a hug for just a moment before pulling away again, giving a hesitant nod.

"We got this, Padfoot. Maybe having a house full is just the distraction we need. Come on."

Together they left the library in search of everyone.

The afternoon sun brought high temperatures. The group quickly decided some time out in the pond was called for. Sirius and Remus applied some sun protection charms to everyone before letting them loose.

The adults watched as the kids splashed about. Once they were well and truly distracted, Remus cleared his throat to get the Granger's attention. "I know you two were on the fence if you would be staying. Have you made a decision? I ask because we were hoping you'd agree to stay. We could use the assistance. Tutoring I can do, easy; I'm a little out of my depth for slumber parties."

Dan chuckled. "To be honest, so are we. These are the first friends Hermione has ever really made. We mostly just go off of what we did when we were kids, and go from there."

"Did Harry tell you he asked me to pick up snacks? I brought a big assortment. I know he wanted mostly sweets, but I hate to give them so much sugar. Not good for their teeth. I suppose it will be fine, we'll have to make sure they all brush their teeth before bed," said Helen.

Sirius shook his head. "No, but I'm not surprised. He seemed frantic all morning, running around. I heard him in the kitchen making arrangements with the elves as well. It seems he's just as new to this as Hermione is."

"Yes, he was quite nervous when I spoke to him. It was honestly kind of nice to hear him have a normal kid problem. We chatted for a bit and he seems better now."

Dan smiled warmly. "You guys are doing great. And to answer your original question, yes we would be happy to stay. We brought overnight bags; Harry set us up in the main guest room we used last time." Dan paused a moment looking over the other men before continuing, "Did something else happen? You two look tense."

Sirius sighed. Stealing a quick look to ensure the kids were still out of ear shot, he quickly brought the Grangers up to speed on the possible Pettigrew lead.

Dan, who had been at the tribunal and seen how badly this topic affected Sirius, put a heavy hand on Sirius's shoulder. "I hope you get good news soon. If there is anything more you need from us, we are here for you."

Sirius gave a sad smile. "Thank you. Same for us," he said sincerely. Sirius was thankful for the friendship. He was growing fond of the pair. They moved the discussion onto lighter topics while they waited for the kids to tire of the water.

"I'd kill right about now for a sandwich or something. You want one?" Harry asked Ron.

"Ugh, yes. That sounds amazing."

The others were still playing in the water. Harry and Ron dragged themselves out of the shallows and onto two of the towels laid out on the grass. Harry pulled two sandwiches out of the lunch basket and passed one to Ron.

They ate for a moment in silence, watching as the twins talked Neville and Hemione into a game.

"What's that they're playing?" Harry asked.

"It's called chicken fight. The two people on the shoulders have to try and sink the people on the other team. Games over when someone goes under water or a team comes apart."

Fred had Hermione on his shoulders and George had Neville on his. The water was up to the twins' chest. They circled each other for a moment and then they drew closer so Hermione and Neville could start to try and push or pull each other.

Harry laughed at the site. "Looks like fun. Hermione is super competitive though; wouldn't want to go up against her."

When Ron didn't say anything further, Harry turned to look at him. "What's up? Is the sandwich okay? I think it was ham, I know you don't like corned beef so I took that one."

Ron sighed, looking down at the half eaten sandwich in his lap. "It's fine, mate. I just…It's just upsetting to know that while we were worried about you, you were living it up here in this big fancy house."

"But-"

Ron interrupted Harry, "I know, I know, you guys have been sorting out a bloody mess and it hasn't been all fun and games…It was just a thought I had. And then you remember I don't like corned beef after I just said that once, and you let me come stay…I don't know. I'm angry, but I'm also thankful to have you as a friend. I just wish I could have been there for you."

"You are here for me. I've had so much pressure these last few weeks. Having to get Sirius sorted and make all these decisions. I mean, at one point I had to write my will! What eleven year old has to write a will!? Madness. But I've been looking forward to this weekend, and getting to hang out."

Ron scrunched his nose up. "Merlin, that sounds terrible." He paused thoughtfully, "What about Hogwarts, are you really thinking going back might be bad?"

Harry shrugged. "I don't know. Dobby's warning could mean anything, we aren't all that worried about that part. It has more to do with the Headmaster and if it's safe to be there in his reach."

"Well, whatever his reasons, at least you know he can't bind you up again."

Harry stared blankly at Ron. "What do you mean?"

"Just that it must be at least a little comfort that he can't do it again," Ron said simply.

Harry continued to stare. "What makes you say that? We'll be in the same castle every day. He could cast something over breakfast if he wanted and I wouldn't even know."

Ron looked confused. "No. I mean, he could do something else, but he can't rebind your magic."

"I don't understand."

"Well you're not a baby anymore."

"So? What does that have to do with it?"

"Well you can't just bind anyone's magic. It doesn't work. Otherwise they would probably do it to criminals and stuff I'd guess. I heard Dad talking about it with someone from work one time. Bindings only work on really young kids. Once you have a wand you're over the age your magic can be bound."

Harry stared dumbfounded. "I had no idea. I've been dreading it this whole time. Because even if we can clear the bindings off, it messes up my magic so badly, I was worried I'd never be able to get better if he kept messing with me."

Harry collapsed back onto his towel and let himself fully relax. A giggle of relief spread through him. "Ron, you're a genius."

A smile spread over Ron's face and he finished his sandwich.

After a bit, the others waded out of the water to dry off for their own late lunch. They joked and played out on the grass for awhile before Ron asked about flying. Hemione immediately opted out of getting on a broomstick, while Neville reluctantly agreed.

"Let me ask Sirius if he wants to play too and then we can have even teams for Quadpot," Harry said, taking off at a run for the patio.

First confirming with Kylix they had enough booms for Neville, Sirius, and Ron, Harry walked up to the adult table. They all turned to look at him as he approached, they each had cards in hand and looked at ease.

"Hey kiddo, having fun?" Sirius asked.

"We are, I was just wondering if you'd be up for teaching us quadpot? We never got around to it last weekend because we were getting Neville comfortable on a broom. But we have enough for teams now if you join."

"Won't me playing make it uneven?"

"No, Hermione doesn't want to fly, she said she would cheer us on and keep score. So we need one more to even it up."

When Sirius hesitated Harry immediately continued, "But it's fine, nevermind. We'll play something else. Don't worry about it. Sorry, I know today…Yeah." Harry started backing away.

"Harry-"

"All good. Sorry. You can get back to your game," Harry said in a rush, turning quickly and running back in the direction of his friends.

When he got close he shrugged at their expectant looks. "He's in the middle of some card game with the others. Maybe we can just pass a quaffle around for a bit today and play that tomorrow?" he suggested.

The others agreed so Harry had Ky bring out the brooms. The twins took theirs, Harry let Ron use his Nimbus again while he took his dad's school broom, and Neville took the last, which Ky informed them was Harry's grandfather's broom. Apparently a love of flying runs in the family.

Sirius watched, pained, as Harry ran from him, back to his friends. "Fuck." He put his cards down, and leaning forward onto the table, dropped his head into his hands. "I don't know what's wrong with me, it's not like he was asking much." Sirius said, his voice slightly muffled from behind his hands.

"It's hard to play and be carefree when you have something so heavy on your mind. I think as long as it doesn't become a habit, young Harry will understand and forgive your reluctance," Master Sun said as he approached. "I saw you were playing cards and was hoping you would allow me to join you."

Sirius had startled a bit at the new voice. "Of course, please pull up a chair." Sirius paused for a moment while Master Sun settled into a seat before asking, "You saw that, huh? He looked so upset, and all I did was hesitate."

"I did. I also see him now." Master Sun said simply, looking over Sirius's shoulder toward the pond.

Sirius turned to look and could see the boys flying. He could hear the distant sound of conversation and watched as Harry threw his head back for a laugh, the same way James used to. It made him feel better and made his heart ache at the same time.

Later that evening, after everyone came together for dinner, the party continued up in the game room. The kids were surrounded by the snacks Helen brought and deeply entrenched in a game of Clue.

Neville and the Weasleys were very interested in the muggle snacks and games. George surprised everyone by pulling the first win on Clue. Then they split into teams and played Pictionary and charades. Fred, Harry, and Ron on the red team, with George, Hermione, and Neville on the gold team. The gold team won Pictionary, but the red team dominated in charades.

The adults tried to be nearby with their own card games, but eventually moved down stairs for the sake of their eardrums, and let the kids have their fun.

After the games, Harry talked them into building a huge pillow fort in the sun room. He had had the elves supply him with lots of sheets and blankets. Then they pilfered couch cushions and pillows from all over the house.

They tried it the muggle way first, but anywhere they seemed to need something a little extra, Harry and the twins would use some magic to help them out. This was particularly helpful keeping everything from collapsing on top of them.

When they were just about finished spreading the blankets and pillows on the floor for comfort, Dria popped in with a string of magical fairy lights. She helped them string them up to give the inside of the fort cozy warm light.

"This is amazing," Neville whispered as he lay flat looking up at the lights.

"It was even cooler than I hoped. I've only seen people do these on tv," Harry agreed.

"The lights were a nice touch," Hermione said.

"It's cool we can do magic here-"

"Mum never lets us at home," Fred and George said in tandem.

"Are we going to sleep in here?" Ron asked.

Harry shrugged. "We can. I kinda want to. We have regular beds if you prefer, but this might be more fun."

The other boys agreed. Hermione knew her parents will probably have her stay in her own room, as most mixed slumber parties have the boy and girl sleep in separate rooms. At least that's what she's heard, so she didn't express her want to sleep in the cosy fort they had made, just in case they told her she couldn't.

The twins used their wand light to make shadow puppets on one of the hanging sheets. The others laughed, enjoying the silliness.

Harry was happy, he thought suddenly. He wasn't sure that was fair, given his circumstances. The last of his blood family was dead and the person that killed them was still out there. Not to mention the person that sold his parents out was still on the loose too. Plus, the whole Voldemort thing…Did it make him a bad person for finding some happiness?

Surprisingly, it was Ron that first noticed Harry's turn of attitude, not Hermione. One moment they were laughing at Fred's dog shadow puppet eating George's frog shadow, and the next Harry's laugh trailed off and he looked troubled. Ron had been watching him and saw his face fall.

Unsure of what to do, Ron gave a subtle kick to the closest twin and to Hermione. When they looked over at him he frowned in Harry's direction and shrugged.

When they didn't say anything, Ron sat up and tried, "Harry? All good, mate?"

Harry didn't respond right away, seemingly lost in the spiral of depressing thoughts.

Ron wasn't the most tactile of his brothers. He would probably say Charlie was; the twins were on occasion, but mostly with each other or to cover a prank they were pulling. However, Ron still reached out and put a hand on Harry's shoulder in what he hoped was a comforting manor.

This seemed to be enough to startle Harry out of his daze. He sat up, scooting back against the nearest cushion next to Ron and drawing his knees up to his chest. "Sorry, I wandered off there. What's up?"

"You wanna talk about it, Harry?" Hermione asked softly.

"Yeah, we're here for you. Even if you don't need us to do anything but listen," Fred said.

"Lay it on us Potter, you'll feel better," George chimed in.

Neville nodded from the side. "If you're ready, we're here."

Harry looked around at his friends and tried to keep the tears from his eyes. He didn't want to embarrass himself by crying at his first sleepover. But they were here for him and maybe talking it out would make the pain in his chest go away. If anything, he was worried that if he bottled it all up again, it would explode out of him again, and his magic would hurt someone else like it hurt Hermione.

"I…I don't know. One minute I was having fun and I realised how happy I was…and then I just felt really guilty for feeling that way. The Dursleys are d-dead. They're dead, and the person that killed them only did it because they thought they were also killing me. My parents are dead and only because Voldemort heard some prophecy that a kid born at the end of July would defeat him. I was the target, they were just in the way. Just like the Dursleys. They died because they were there. Because it was where I was supposed to be." Harry choked a sob and hugged his legs tighter, dropping his head to his knees to hide his face. So much for not embarrassing himself, he thought.

The other kids shared a quick look before all scooching in close to Harry, forming a very lumpy cocoon around him.

"It's not your fault there are bad people out there who do bad things," Neville said.

"It's okay to not be sad all the time. Getting to be happy doesn't mean you're happy they died, it just means you are moving on with your life." Fred offered.

"Yeah, it's okay to mourn the people you lost, but it's not a bad thing to live your life too," George said.

"I don't think you need to feel guilty. You're doing everything you can by the sound of it. Getting some time to just relax and enjoy yourself is just as important as all that other stuff you're doing. Charlie says good head space is just as important as skill when it comes to dragon wrangling…I'm not sure how that factors in but if it's good enough for dragons…" Ron shrugged. He knew he wasn't very good with words, much less ones for emotions.

Hermione tried to stifle a giggle at Ron's words, but she was pressed against Fred who also began to laugh. It was infectious. This had George chuckling and soon Neville was too.

"Aw come on guys I'm not good at this stuff, I thought the dragon thing made sense!" Ron pouted slightly at the rising volume of laughter but wasn't truly hurt by it as it seemed to break the tension when Harry's watery laughter joined in.

They soon all had a case of the giggles and Harry let it burn off the worst of his feelings. When they finally calmed themselves some minutes later, Harry still had a lingering sadness, but he felt much lighter, so it seemed easier to carry on his own.

"Thanks guys. You're right. I'm glad you all got to come over. I needed this."

They stayed in the awkward cuddle pile until George complained his arm was going numb and someone had an elbow in his ribs. They all giggled again and began to extract themselves.

"Well the fort 's done, wanna sneak down to the kitchen for some hot chocolate before bed?" Harry offered, hopefully.

Everyone quickly agreed and crawled out of the blanket fort. As they made their way downstairs, Harry and Ron were near the back. Harry nudged him and said quietly so the others wouldn't hear, "Seriously, I'm glad you're here. Thanks, mate."

After their late night hot coco, the Grangers ushered the children to brush their teeth before sending them all off to bed. The boys to the fort in the sunroom, and Hermione to her own room she used before.

Remus stopped Harry as he exited his room, having just come from donning his pjs. "Harry, would you mind if I borrowed Hedwig to send a letter? I realized I was waiting for some urgent news and since we don't have a Floo connection here, I may need to reach out myself for news. I'm unsure if they know how to send a patronus."

"Should be fine, if she's not out hunting she should be in my room or the mailroom. She's a smart bird, she always knows when she's needed. "

Remus nodded his understanding. Harry hesitated before offering, "If it's urgent, I can send a letter my way if you'd like? Is it to someone I know?"

Relief fell over Remus as he visibly relaxed, "If you don't mind that would be wonderful actually. I already charmed the paper so he could reply, a really clever idea you guys had, but I was dreading waiting for the owl delivery, and I don't know if the charm would hold that long. Are you sure you're okay with someone else knowing you can do that? It's to Arthur Weasley, your friend's dad. We spoke when I went to pick up the boys and I just…" Remus trailed off, now looking conflicted.

"I trust Ron's dad. If you say it's urgent, I don't mind. Hedwig is fast but you still wouldn't have an answer until morning. I can do it."

"Thank you Harry," Remus said softly. He side stepped quickly into Henry's old office to pen in an extra line on the letter before refolding it and offering it to Harry. "I just wanted to reassure him it was me."

Harry took the fold of parchment and concentrated on it briefly before it disappeared in a blink from his hand.

Remus thanked Harry again and they bid each other goodnight. They parted at the stairs.

Remus watched Harry's back as he disappeared upstairs and hurried down stairs to return to the library.

The other adults had gathered there in the cosy armchairs by the fire; each with their evening beverage of choice. As Remus entered he caught the tail end of them chuckling at something Master Sun had said.

Sirius was doing a poor job of keeping the anxiety from his face as Remus approached. "Were you able to send Hedwig off? We really should look into getting another owl. If Harry goes back to Hogwarts and we stay here, travelling all the way to the Post office in Cardiff every time we want to send a letter will suck. Plus they close! Annoying on night like-"

"Sirius!" Remus interrupted, unable to wait through the nervous babbling. "When I told Harry what I needed her for and that it was urgent, he said he trusted Arthur enough to send the letter his way. Come here, I think he's writing back." Remus sat at the study table and pulled the parchment close as Arthurs cramped, though tidy, scrawl appeared on the page.

This is truly amazing. Can you see this?

Remus tried not to roll his eyes in impatience, remembering how crazy it would seem to receive one of these letters in this way for the first time.

He quickly penned back: Yes, I can write back too. The charm doesn't last forever, but it works for small correspondence.

Amazing. Anyway, I just got home. It was him. I called the aurors straight away as promised. As soon as the spell registered a positive. I actually had to get Amelia directly. I called the auror department first to make a report but they didn't seem too bothered to come to the Burrow if there wasn't an "active threat"

Sirius snarled and Remus quickly wrote: How does a wanted criminal and known Death Eater not pose an "active threat?" are they out of their minds?

My thoughts exactly. I ended up catching Shacklebolt and had him pull Amelia for me. When I told her everything, She ripped Dawlish (the idiot I made the report to) a new one. She rallied a strike team and went to pick him up. I advised her that I had sealed the cage and made it unbreakable as well as where to find it, as they wanted me to wait at the ministry.
They returned fairly quickly, I saw most of them return to the department, I didn't see Shack or Bones. When I asked someone I saw leave with them, they said because Pettigrew is an animagus, they had to take him down to the department of mysteries to be questioned.

Merlin, I didn't know they had something prepared for that, but I'm glad that they do. Peter was always good at getting away in his rat form.

Me too. That auror told me Amelia still wanted to speak to me and to wait until I've given my statement. I sent another owl to Molly, my wife, to let her know it was okay to return home. When I told her what was going on I had her go to her aunt's house with the kids after shopping.
Anyway, after that I just waited in the department for someone to tell me what was going on. Eventually I got shown to an interview room….which was actually interrogation.

They kept you waiting and then parked you in interrogation?

Yeah. They tried to play it off but I could see the writing on the wall. They brought me lunch, said Amelia wanted to speak with me herself. Which actually made me feel better, even if the kid that said it meant it as a threat.

"Why they let the new recruits near suspects, I'll never know. They have terrible tact," Sirius said.

"I'm surprised they even have new recruits. Funding has been cut in that department pretty hard. I can't believe they kept him there all day!" Remus shook his head in disbelief before picking his pen back up.

You said you're just getting home. She kept you in interrogation for the rest of the day?

That's the best part of this crappy day. Supposedly the interrogation was going long with Pettigrew. When Amelia stepped out of the room, they told her they had me waiting upstairs and she was pretty upset. Apparently her instructions were to take my statement and make an appointment to return and speak with her…not hold me until she was free.

Sirius was reading what was being written out loud for the others. As he read the last response from Arthur, Helen seemed bewildered. "These are the people that keep your world safe? They really made a mess of this man. Thank God for Amelia, but surely someone else in that department has some competence."

The others silently agreed with her.

Did she say how it went? Was an arrest made? Anything?

Yeah. She grumbled and apologized for the department. Took down my statement. She said I wasn't in any trouble, which I'm thankful for, and said I was free to go. She said Pettigrew tried to lie and blame Sirius again, then said he was hiding from Death Eaters. When his lies didn't work he panicked, tried to transform, which also didn't work. Given that he tried to escape questioning, and he is a person of interest in the Potter's case as well as the death of those muggles he killed when Sirius found him. They expedited a petition for use of Veritas serum.

I'm sorry your day was rough, but I am glad he's been caught. Thank you. For noticing, for taking the proper precautions. For taking the chance. Seriously, we owe you.

I wish I had realized there was something amiss sooner.

Sirius huffed and grabbed the pen from Remus.

Hi Arthur, Sirius here. None of that! You had no reason to question it, and as soon as you did, you caught on right away.
Also, tomorrow I am going to be purchasing an owl for our use here, as we realized Harry has the only owl. Would you mind if we bought Ron a replacement? I'm not sure what you want to tell him, but I would like to show my thanks by replacing his pet.

There was a brief delay in response.

Merlin I haven't even thought of what to tell Ron yet. Molly said that would be fine, but requests no more rats. Also something on the approved Hogwarts list so he can take it with him.
I think the news would be best coming straight from me…I can meet you in Diagon or you lot can come to the burrow before…

Remus retook the pen. Harry said he added you to the wards here. If you'd like, you can join us for breakfast. I can pick you up when the kids wake up.

The page was rapidly running out of space as they had already taken to the back of the page some time ago. Thankfully Arthur wrote small.

That would be amazing. See you in the morning.

See you then.

AN: Well, that happened. How Pettigrew was caught or found out has been the bane of my existence. In some versions Remus caught him. In others he wasn't found out until much later. I had two version where he escaped. Ugh, Mess.

When I included Arthur in the tribunal, it just made sense for him to be more alert. So when Ron asks his dad to check out his rat because he seems sick...it just hits him. And I think in his disbelief, he might ask Remus to help him confirm, because he doesn't WANT it to be true. So that's how we ended up here.

Also, every time I tried to write this big blow up scene for Ron, it just felt forced. These kids are pretty freshly trauma bonded and are still young enough that the hormones aren't making them crazy. Ron wants to feel valued. Sure, canon makes him a jealous jerk, but that really happens later. 11/12 year old Ron just wants a friend, he's very protective of his friendship with Harry. Maybe we can jump start some character growth for him. He and Hermione and Harry *all* have their flaws. I know Ron bashing is popular (I love reading some of those myself,) but I don't feel like that's where *this* particular story is headed. I will write their flaws and their growth, but I won't be exaggerating it. I'll be adding Supportive Ron to the tags.

Anyway how do we feel about the lore drop? World building is tough, I want this to make sense, but canon doesn't give us much as to why there is magic or how it works. Just 'there's a magic world, some people have magic and some don't and its kind of hereditary but also not'...So this is just me trying to make heads or tails of that. I hope you like it. We got to see Neville and Hermione's magic finally! Remember, Harry's experience is not the norm.

Next up we have the rest of the Weasley weekend and the obligatory shopping episode.

Also I am going to do my best to keep up with posting here until this story is finished, but any other works I write will likely only exist on AO3. This system takes 4x longer to post on because I have to go line by line and fix spacing and redo all formatting, no matter how I do it. I just don't have that issue on AO3. user name is the same there if you want to follow. Otherwise - Thanks for reading