And we're back once again! I hope you are all enjoying this so far because I know that I am which is a good thing. I seem to have found my enjoyment in this story again so hopefully I'll be able to make this move faster now.

Disclaimer: I own nothing!

Chapter Twenty Five

By Rosa241

Harry POV

I've never really been a fan of Christmas but let's face it why would I be? After all most kids got to spend it eating sweets, opening presents and stuffing their faces with turkey but not me. My Christmas' were spent mourning parents I never got to know, hiding from Dudley and watching them eat a dinner I prepared. Last Christmas was the worst. I spent hours helping Aunt Petunia make that dinner and the whole time all I could think was that it smelled delicious but that didn't matter. Whilst they sat and ate turkey I had to contend myself with a ham sandwich whilst being stuck in that cupboard.

Shaking my head I force myself to stop thinking of the past and focus on the soup in front of me. When Fred had said that Hogwarts cooking had nothing on Mrs Weasleys I thought he was joking but he wasn't. I've never tasted food like this in all my time with the Dursleys. This whole thing still seems so bizarre. To be perfectly honest I would have been all too happy to stay at Hogwarts over the holiday but being here is so much better. Despite my earlier fears I quickly found that these people were happy to have me here. Despite my fears being here was actually pretty wonderful and I'm glad I decided to come. Truth is I've never really spent much time around an actual family, other than the Dursleys of course but they don't really count.

"Right you lot there's a bunch of gnomes out in the garden that could do with your attention." Mrs Weasley declared as we polished off the rest of our soup. Ron had tried to explain degnoming to me this morning when we were out playing quidditch but to be honest it didn't make a whole lot of sense. Instead we both decided that it would be much better if he simply demonstrated instead.

"Come on Harry you're going to love it. It's well fun!" Ron crowed as he shoved my dish into the sink. Part of me, the part that was still at the Dursley's, almost went to the sink to start the washing up but Percy moved first.

"Have fun washing the dishes Percy!" Fred smirked as he and George raced out of the door even in a wizarding family chores were still a necessity. Rolling his eyes the elder Weasley simply pulled up his sleeves as he moved to clear the table.

"Oh Harry before you go I wonder if I could have a quick word." Mrs Weasley asked as she handed Percy a cloth.

What did I do?

What's wrong?

Apparently sensing my thoughts she chuckled slightly before speaking.

"No need to look so worried dear I just wanted to ask a question." Releasing a breath I feel myself relaxing, unfortuanatley it's short lived. "I was talking to Arthur this morning and we were wondering about your Aunt and Uncle."

My entire body tensed as she spoke. What if she wants to send me back? What if she doesn't want me here?

Please don't send me back. Please don't send me back…

"Wh-what about them?" A strange look crosses her face as she speaks but in an instant it's gone, replaced with her warm smile.

"Well Arthur and I wondered if you wanted to visit them over Christmas. They're your Aunt and Uncle after all I imagine that they're missing you this time of year." Not likely.

The day those people actual missed me would probably be the day pigs started flying across the sky. They probably cheered when they got my letter about going to the Weasleys. It was Hermione that forced me to write the stupid thing but there was no convincing her otherwise when she knew I wasn't going back to them. Unlike Ron I hadn't told her too many details of my life with the Dursley's so she didn't really understand that they genuinely didn't care whether I came home or not. Eventually I'd given in and written the note to say I was going to be staying with the Weasleys and naturally I'd had no response from them.

"Oh um…They've decided to go away for Christmas and I don't think they'll be back for a while." Of course that's not true at all but the last thing that I want to do is to go and see them.

"Ah well never mind then. Right you two best go and join the others dear." For a moment it seems as if she wants to say something else but she merely smiles as I head out of the door with Ron. As much as I want to shake all thoughts of those people out of my head I can't help worrying about them.

What if she insists on going to see them?

Percy POV:

"Subtle mum." I sigh as Harry and Ron head off into the garden. She says nothing as she watches them go and as soon as she turns back to me her expression is back to normal. There's no denying what I saw though. She worried and I can only guess about what.

It's been obvious since I got home that she's concerned about Harry, my letter having evidentially done the trick. Something in me feels a little guilty at that but I shake it off. This is for the best. Getting Harry out of that house and wrapped up with people who love him is the most important thing right now. Well it's one of the important things. Getting Harry out of that house is up there with sorting out Neville's bullying and dealing with Ron. How none of us had noticed before just how hard it was for him is beyond me? It really gets to me that he was so surprised that I'd done this for him as well as for Harry.

"Poor dear." She says as I finish wiping down the table and turn my attention to the sink.

"You're really worried aren't you?" I ask which of course has her turning towards me.

"What makes you say that dear?" I say nothing but the look I give her causes her to smile a little. "You're far too intelligent for your own good."

She'll heads out of the room without revealing her worries to me but it doesn't surprise me. Mum's never been one to drop her problems on others, instead she keeps them all to herself. It annoyed me before but I recognised in the end that she was simply trying to protect everyone. To be honest that's mum's best and worst quality, she's always trying to protect everyone.

"So how's Oliver dear?" Her question has me jumping since I hadn't heard her come back into the room. It's funny how quickly she latched onto my best friend when he came into my life. She's only met him a handful of times but, like she does with everyone, she simply dragged him into a hug and welcomed him to the family.

"Fine. Taking his studies very seriously of course." She grins at that having understood long ago that when it came to school Oliver had little interest in anything that wasn't quidditch. "He was more than happy to find out just how good Harry was at quidditch, apparently he's even better than Charlie."

"Hmm I can only imagine. It's hard to believe that there's someone out there than can rival Charlie for being mad about quidditch but that boy…" She trails off and I can't help laughing. "Of course we probably shouldn't tell that to Charlie."

Laughing again I can't help the bubble of happiness that builds in my chest. Since this whole thing started I've been so stressed about how I'm going to change the future that it feels good to actually relax for once.

It's good to be home.

McGonagall POV:

Over the years I've been through these doors many times and it's very rarely for good reasons. Unfortunately there are far too many occasions when children aren't being treated the way that they deserve. It's pleasing to say that usually these situations are resolved in the end and most children go on to live a wonderful happy life. However that's not always the case. Shaking off the memories of my previous visits I focus on the reasons for my current one.

Harry Potter.

"Minerva." Jennet greets me warmly and I return the favour. "Don't take this the wrong way but I had hoped that you wouldn't be in my office again."

"As had I." With a sad smile she seats herself behind the large oak desk and I take a perch on the other side.

"Now what seems to be the trouble." As I explain the worries that have been shared reguarding Harry's home life her face drops until her features are set hard in stone. Jennet Harris was a wonderfully lovely woman and one who, over the years, had become a truly great friend. When it came to children however everything changed. When it came to children, especially the vulnerable ones, she became a fearsome woman that no one - not even you-know-who himself! - would want to try and cross.

"That's why I'm here. If any of those stories are true…" I trail off not needing to explain to her the seriousness of these allegations. A shiver runs through me and, not for the first time since this whole situation came to light, I find guilt trickling through me.

I should have kept a closer eye on him.

After Albus dropped the boy off at the door of those people I couldn't help hanging round for a few days. Of course they were shocked but once she'd read the letter that woman's face had gone so pale and the tears that pooled in her eyes were genuine. No matter what had transpired between Lily and Petunia there was a genuine love for her departed sister which had convinced me that she would care for him. Their shock had been evident but they'd taken him in. I wish, now more than ever, that I'd been able to stay longer and keep my eyes on him. Albus had needed me to take care of some other matters and I'd been forced to pull myself away from them. I kept meaning to go back but...

"A cupboard under the stairs!?" Jennet's shock at that piece of information was still clear on her face and thankfully her words bring me out of my guilt. "The boy who informed you of this can he be trusted? He's not someone trying to cause trouble?"

"No. For him to come to me with those worries I know that he must believe them. To think all this time." The last part has been whispered but her keen ears hear it all the same.

"Nonsense Minerva. After all these years I'd have thought that you would have been able to see that this is never your fault." Offering her a tight lipped smile is about all I can do as I know that she's wrong. I should have kept an eye on him.

"Right well first things first I believe a surprise visit might be in order." My smile begins to feel more genuine at her words. "Now you say that Harry's not aware of these allegations." Shaking my head no in response she continues. "Well in that case we'll hold off on talking to him until we've investigated further. No sense in upsetting the lad until we know what we're dealing with. He's safe now?"

"Yes he's spending christmas with The Weasley family." Her former warm smile returns at that and, much like myself, I can see she's pleased with that piece of news. "I take it you remember them?"

"Oh yes." It had been in Charlie's second year that an anonymous letter had made some serious allegations against the family. Naturally all eyes had fallen upon Lucius Malfoy and, despite knowing Arthur personally, Jennet had no choice but to investigate. Of course there was nothing in it other than malicious rumours and the case had been dropped almost as soon as it was opened. "A good family."

"Quite right." Molly and Arthur were about the best people for Harry to be with right now. "So a surprise visit?"

"Oh yes it's all within our guidelines. When there are allegations made we have a right to visit the home to speak to the family." Child abuse was taken very seriously and any allegation was treated as such. "I'll send my best girl, she'll get to the bottom of it in no time."

Maybe now we can make this right.

So basically I've kind of invented a department within the ministry. There must be a department somewhere who deal with child abuse or neglect and if there wasn't there is now. I have a feeling that things are about to go very wrong for the Dursleys, how terrible!

Until next time. Bye!