Set Point Theory

Chapter Two

Harry stood quietly in the kitchen after Arthur, Remus and Annie left. Molly smiled kindly at him. He did his best to return the smile. "This must all seem very strange to you, dear," said Molly. Harry shrugged. It didn't really feel strange to him; unfamiliar yes, strange no.

"You must be hungry, Harry," Molly pulled out a chair for him. Harry sat. Molly casually flicked her wand and Harry watched in amazement as a roast beef sandwich made itself. She set the plate and a cup of juice in front of him. Harry hesitated. "Don't you like roast beef, dear? I'm sorry, I should have asked."

"No I like it just fine," said Harry. He looked very apologetic. Molly couldn't help but feel pity for him. She had heard a few things about his Muggle relatives. Harry was probably used to being shouted at and criticized on a regular basis.

"Go on, dear, it's alright." Harry slowly took a bite, chewed and swallowed. He then took a drink of his juice, looked up at Molly and smiled.

"This is very good," said Harry. "What is it?"

"Pumpkin juice." Molly noticed that the clothes Harry wore were far too big for him. She shook her head sadly.

"Mummy, Fred and George put spiders in my bed again!"

Harry looked up to see a boy his age with flaming red hair. A girl who couldn't have been too much younger and had equally flaming red hair, stood next to him.

"I'll talk to them, Ron," said Molly.

"Who are you?" the girl asked Harry politely. Her spider-phobic brother looked over at Harry as well. His eyes widened as he took in the cut on Harry's cheek.

"Are you alright?" he asked, his voice filled with a genuine concern Harry had never heard from a child his own age. Harry shrugged, nodded, and looked down at his plate. He felt Mrs. Weasley's hands on his shoulders. At first, he tensed up, but her touch was so gentle he relaxed after a few seconds. She eyed Harry's oversized apparel.

"These clothes are just too big. Ron, would you go fetch one of your outfits for him to wear?" asked Mrs. Weasley. Ron looked a little anxious. Harry figured that he was thinking about the spiders in his room. "Fetch them from the laundry, Dear. There aren't any spiders there, I promise."

"He doesn't have to do that," said Harry, feeling his cheeks burn.

"I don't mind," said Ron. He gave Harry one last concerned look, and left the room.

"I'll draw you a bath, Harry," said Mrs. Weasley. Harry felt himself go scarlet.

"You really don't have to do that, I'm fine," said Harry.

"Nonsense, Dear," said Mrs. Weasley. "You've been through a terrible ordeal. You'll feel better once you freshen up." Mrs. Weasley squeezed his shoulder and left the room. Ron's sister walked up to the table, sat down and the chair next to Harry, propped her elbows on the table and rested her chin on her hands. She smiled brightly at Harry and he did his best to return the smile. It was good having people being nice to him for a change, but Harry just wasn't used to it. Dudley and his gang always made sure that no one was nice to him at school. And Uncle Vernon and Aunt Petunia certainly never showed him the sort of kindness that Remus, Annie, Arthur, and Molly had shown him.

"I'm Ginny," said the girl. "I heard Mummy call you 'Harry.' Is that your name?" Harry nodded. "Like Harry Potter!" said Ginny.

"I am Harry Potter," said Harry. Ginny nearly fell out of her chair. Harry remembered Remus and Annie telling him that he was famous, but he really didn't know what to expect.

"You're really Harry Potter?" asked Ginny regaining her composure. "Do you really have the scar?"

"The one from Voldemort?" Ginny flinched, but then looked ashamed for having done so. Harry took off his hat and pulled back his bangs. Ginny reached up and touched the scar with her index finger.

"Merlin's beard," said Ron from the doorway. He had a small bundle of clothing in his arms. Ginny quickly pulled back and turned scarlet.

"He's Harry Potter," Ginny muttered.

"Wicked!" said Ron walking up to the table. "You really have the scar!" Harry stared at his hands.

"My Aunt and Uncle told me I got it in a car crash," said Harry.

"Why did they say that?" asked Ron looking quizzedly at Harry. Harry shrugged.

"Are you aunt and uncle really Muggles?" asked Ginny. Harry opened his mouth to ask what a Muggle was, but quickly shut it. The first rule he learned while growing up with the Dursleys was Don't ask questions! Harry stared at his hands again. Ron and Ginny exchanged a concerned look. "Did I say something wrong?" asked Ginny. Harry looked up quickly.

"No," he said. "I-I don't know what a Muggle is."

"That's okay," said Ron. "A Muggle is some one who isn't a wizard. They can't do magic."

"Yes, my aunt and uncle are Muggles."

"I heard they were real mean," said Ginny. Harry started to answer, but was interrupted when three teenagers, two girls and a boy, appeared out on thin air in the middle of the kitchen and another teenage boy shot out of the fireplace. The one who shot out of the fireplace was short and stocky. Harry figured that he was one of the Weasleys from the flaming red hair that was visible even under the ash and soot.

"You really didn't have to use the floo powder by yourself, Charlie," said one of the girls helping the Weasley (Charlie) to his feet.

"S'alright," said Charlie with a note of melancholy in his voice. "You guys passed, I didn't. You shouldn't be denied your first chance to Apparate because of me." Apparate, Harry remembered Remus and Annie using that word.

"Did you really land on some old lady's head?" asked the other boy. With his light brown hair and good-natured smile, Harry thought he looked a lot like Remus. Maybe he was Remus' nephew Mr. Weasley had mentioned.

"Yes," said Charlie. "They had to do a memory charm on her."

"You landed on an old lady's head?" asked Ron. The four teenagers turned to face the three small children. Four jaws dropped as they noticed Harry's scar.

"This is Harry Potter," said Ron matter-of-factly.

"We can see that," said the fair-haired boy. "What's he doing here?"

"Mummy said he was through a rough ordeal," said Ginny. One of the girls turned to Harry.

"Are you alright?" she asked.

"I'm fine," said Harry. The girl smiled and walked up to him.

"Well it's nice to see you again after all these years," she said holding out her hand. Harry shook it. "I'm Abby Prewett. My Mum used to play Quidditch for Gryffindor with your daddy." Abby gestured to her three companions. "This is Charlie Weasley, Lucy Figg, and Jerrod Lupin." So he was related to Remus. Harry hesitated before asking his next question, but realized that these people didn't mind questions like Aunt Petunia did.

"What's quidditch?" he asked. "And what's Gryffindor?" Charlie and Jerrod looked surprised at the question. Abby and Lucy, on the other hand, exchanged a that figures look.

"Quidditch is the greatest sport in the world!" said Ron eagerly. "People fly real fast on broomsticks and try to put a quaffle through the other team's goal and the Seeker tries to catch the snitch. That's how the game ends."

"And Gryffindor is one of the houses at Hogwarts," said Ginny.

"Hogwarts?" asked Harry.

"That's where we go to learn magic," said Ron.

"You're back!" said Mrs. Weasley from the doorway. "How did it go?"

"I landed on an old lady's head," said Charlie glumly. "But I get to try again next week."

"Don't worry, Charlie," said Lucy. "Once you pass the test, you'll be allowed to Apparate forever."

"That's right, Dear," said Mrs. Weasley patting Charlie's arm. Charlie still looked miserable. Mrs. Weasley looked at Harry. "I see you've all met Harry," she said. "Come with me, Harry Dear." Harry stood up and walked over to Mrs. Weasley who picked up Ron's bundle of clothes. He then followed her out of the kitchen and up a set of stairs to a small bathroom. Harry couldn't help but be fascinated by the house. Every inch of it burst with the unusual. He saw a clock in the kitchen with several hands that had names on them. There were no numbers, but words like "you're late" on it. There were also moving pictures on the walls.

"I've drawn a bath for you," said Mrs. Weasley pointing a tub that was filled with bubbles. "Just put on these clothes when you're finished. Will you be alright?" Harry nodded and Mrs. Weasley left closing the door behind her.

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"What's going on, Mum?" asked Charlie when Mrs. Weasley returned to the kitchen.

"A couple of his parents' old friends went to check on him at his aunt and uncle's," explained Mrs. Weasley.

"Remus and Annie?" asked Lucy. Mrs. Weasley nodded.

"Apparently, they saw him being miss-treated by his cousin and decided to get him out of there. Arthur found them and brought them here. Remus, Annie, Arthur are meeting with Dumbledore to sort a few things out."

"I hope Dumbledore doesn't decide to send him back to the Dursleys," said Abby. "If they hate magic half as much as my mum always said they did, Harry never should've been sent there in the first place."

"My gran lives just a few blocks away from them," said Lucy. "She says they haven't told him anything about who he really is. I still can't believe a nice person like Lily Potter had a sister as horrible as Petunia Dursley."

"Harry said his aunt told him he got his scar from a car crash," said Ron.

"She would say that, wouldn't she?" said Lucy with a scowl. "I swear the Dursleys must be the Death Eaters of the Muggle world."

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"I feel I must remind the two of you of the seriousness of your actions. You have not only put Harry's life in danger, but your own lives as well," said Dumbledore eyeing Remus and Annie over his half-moon spectacles.

"We're fully aware of the blood protection," said Annie. "We wouldn't have taken him if we didn't feel it was absolutely necessary. Dudley could have really hurt Harry. I'd hardly call that safe. That sort of thing must be a fairly common occurrence. Harry was positively terrified of going back there."

"Are you certain?" asked Dumbledore. "You may not have been in a clear enough state of mind to accurately assess Harry's emotions."

"I must agree with Annie," said Arthur. "Harry did seem quite terrified of the prospect of returning to his uncle's when I met them at the Leaky Cauldron."

"Albus," said Professor McGonagall."I must agree with them. I told you what I thought of those people the night we left Harry on their doorstep. They may be his only blood relatives, but they certainly aren't fit to raise him. Leaving at note for them would explain everything indeed!"

"They certainly haven't explained a damn thing to him," said Remus angrily. "He thought his scar was from a car crash. He didn't even know he was a wizard. Petunia and Vernon haven't changed since they were teenagers."

"I can understand your frustration," said Dumbledore. "But we must be objective here. Harry is safe from any followers of Voldemort at his uncle's. That is the only way to guarantee his safety."

"So we just put a memory charm on him and send him back to that horrible place?" said Annie. "He deserves better! Lily and James deserve better than to have their child raised by the last people they wanted raising him."

"Let's not forget Harry," said Remus. "What about what Harry wants?"

Dumbledore looked from Remus to Annie and to Arthur and Professor McGonagall. He sighed. "You're all right," he said. "I will see what I can do about releasing Harry into Remus and Annie's custody. But there will be certain conditions."

"What conditions?" asked Annie.

"Harry is a very famous child. He is still too young to fully understand his fame. I must ask you to send Harry to a Muggle school until it is time for him to attend Hogwarts." Annie and Remus relaxed.

"That won't be a problem," said Remus.

"I must also ask you both to be more careful than you have been in the past now that you have a child in your custody."

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Harry felt a lot more comfortable in Ron's clothes than he did in Dudley's. Ron was quite a bit taller than Harry so he had to roll up the pant legs a few times, but that didn't bother him in the least.

"Are those quidditch players?" Harry asked pointing to a poster with people flying around on broomsticks.

"Yeah," said Ron with a grin. "They're the Chudley Cannons, my favorite team!"

Harry felt more relaxed with Ron and Ginny than he ever had at the Dursleys or at school.

"Wanna try a chocolate frog?" asked Ginny.

"A chocolate frog?" asked Harry. He had never heard of a frog made of chocolate. "It's not a real frog is it?" Ginny giggled.

"No, it's a spell."

"The cards are real cool," said Ron. "The packs come with cards of famous witches and wizards and you collect them!" Ginny gave Harry a frog and he opened it. The frog jumped, but Ginny caught it and handed back to Harry. He took a bite. It was wonderful. The Dursleys rarely gave Harry treats. If, on a rare occasion, they did, Dudley usual snatched it from him before he got a chance to eat it.

"Thanks," said Harry. He looked at the card in his hand. It was a wizard named Alberic Grunnion.

"You should start collecting," said Ron. Harry grinned and put the card in his pocket.

"Hey, Ron, Ginny!" one of the Weasley brothers Harry hadn't met hissed from the door.

"I'm not talking to you, George!" said Ron with his arms folded across his chest.

"C'mon, Ronnekins! The spiders were fake," said George's twin also peaking his head in.

"You know how much I hate spiders, Fred!" said Ron angrily.

"Who's that?" asked George pointing at Harry. Harry shuffled his feet uneasily and stared at the floor.

"It's not polite to point," said Ginny with her hands on her hips.

"Yes, Ginny," said George with a mock-salute. He then strolled up to Harry and held out his hand. Harry shook it. "Greetings, good sir! I am George Weasley! May I present my brother, Fred." Fred bowed deeply to Harry and shook his hand. Harry couldn't help but laugh. Laughing felt good. Fred's eyes wondered to Harry's forehead and his jaw dropped.

"Bloody hell!" was all he could say. "Look, George!" George looked at Harry's forehead.

"No way!" said George. "It can't be!"

"Must be," said Fred.

"What?" asked Harry.

"Yes, he is Harry Potter," said Ginny.

I shoulda known, thought Harry.

"Wicked!" exclaimed the twins.

"What did you two want anyway?" asked Ron.

"Oh, we were just going to put some encryptus ink on Percy's school books," said Fred with an evil grin.

"Yeah, he'll think the words have disappeared," said George. "We thought you might want to help."

"Who's Percy?" asked Harry.

"He's our brother," said Ron. "He's starting Hogwarts in September and won't shut up about it. He's getting annoying, really."

"Does that mean you'll help us?" asked Fred.

"Yeah I'll help," said Ron. "Wanna come, Harry?"

"Okay," said Harry eager to see how a magical joke worked.

"How 'bout you, Ginny?" asked George.

"It won't ruin his books, will it?" asked Ginny.

"No, but Percy'll think his books have been ruined," said Fred.

"Mum'll just have to do that Aparecium charm," said George.

"Alright, I'm in," said Ginny.

"Great!" said Fred. "This'll go a lot faster with five of us." He opened a small bag and handed each of them a small bottle. "Just take the sponge and rub it over the pages."

Harry, Ron, and Ginny followed Fred and George down the stairs to another bedroom. They crept inside. Harry could help but notice that Percy's room was a lot more orderly than Ron's. Ron's things were scattered about while Percy kept everything in neatly organized stacks.

"Here they are," Fred whispered opening a trunk and pulling out a pile of books. They each took a couple books and went to work. It was a rather long task, but Harry enjoyed himself. He liked being in the company of other children who were neither afraid to be nice to him because of Dudley nor helping Dudley use him as a punching bag.

"Dinner!" called Mrs. Weasley. Fred collected the books and carefully put them back into the trunk and the five of them headed down to the kitchen. Harry and the others noticed that the table wasn't set.

"Are we eating outside, Mum?" asked Fred.

"Yes," said Mrs. Weasley. "There isn't enough room in here for everyone. Will you carry these plates out, Fred and George? And can you take these potatoes, Ron?" The three boys did as they were asked.

"C'mon, Harry," said Ginny taking his hand. "I'll show you where we're eating." She led him around to the back yard where a large picnic table was set up. Harry felt his stomach growl as the scent of the delicious food drifted under his nose. Charlie, Jerrod, Lucy, and Abby were all talking to three adults. One of them was Arthur Weasley, the other two were--

"Remus! Annie!" called Harry happily. He ran toward them. Ginny ran with him. She wouldn't let go of his hand, but Harry didn't really mind. Annie and Remus beamed at him.

"Did you have a good day?" asked Annie.

"Yeah," said Harry. "Fred and George showed me some stuff."

"Oh?" asked Remus raising his eyebrows and looking quite amused. Harry figured that he shouldn't mention what they had done to Percy's books.

"Yeah, and Ron showed me his Quidditch team and Ginny gave me a chocolate frog!"

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"He looks so happy," said Lily.

"It's nice to see, isn't it," said James.

"Yes," Lily sighed. "I think Ginny's a little smitten with our son."

"I think he's smitten with her too and doesn't know it yet," said James with a crooked smile.

"What makes you say that?" asked Lily with her own crooked smile.

"Father-son thing. I can tell. He has a thing for cute little redheads just like his old dad. It just takes boys a little longer to admit that they're smitten with a girl."

"Don't I know it," said Lily. "What the--? James, look at that boy's rat!" James looked over at a boy who had just joined the group. He carried a large, gray rat that was missing its front toe.

"Bloody hell! That's Wormtail!" said James.

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"Percy, this is Harry Potter," said Ginny. Percy's eyes widened, but he quickly regained his composure and shook Harry's hand.

"Nice to meet you, Harry," said Percy.

"Is that a rat?" asked Harry eyeing the rodent resting on Percy's shoulder.

"This is Scabbers," said Percy. Harry amused himself with the thought of what Aunt Petunia would think of someone having a pet rat. Scabbers suddenly looked up and darted into Percy's pocket. Harry almost swore he noticed the rat look at Remus and Annie before leaving Percy's shoulder.

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"C'MON, MOONY, LOOK AT WORMTAIL!" James shouted, but it was no use.

"Shit, James, there has to be something we can do!" said Lily frantically. "Harry and everyone else are in danger!"