Harry Potter and the Garden of Eden

"The bond that links your true family is not one of blood, but of respect and joy in each other's life."

~Richard Bach

Harry Potter and the Garden of Eden

Chapter 1

Of Work and Weasleys

July 30, 1996

Number 4 Privet Drive

The waves crashed loudly on the shore as he walked along the beach. He was searching, seeking out someone who was supposed to be there. From the corner of his eye, he noticed movement, and turned. Three children were having a fine time putting together a castle of enormous proportion, and he knew it had to be held in place by some kind of magic.. The oldest boy had untidy black hair and green eyes. He was the spitting image of his father, especially now at eight years old. The younger boy also had black hair and green eyes, but he looked more like his mother. He was six. The youngest, a girl, had bright red hair and blue eyes. She was squealing in delight as the boys helped her build the castle.

"Dad!" the oldest called out. "Come help us!"

"Da-ee! Da-ee!" The two year old girl hadn't quite mastered the pronunciation of 'd's in the middle of a word. He didn't care though, and just looked at her with all the love a father could show. She ran and jumped in his arms, knocking him down into the sand.

"Oomph," he sputtered, kicking up sand. He smothered his baby girl with kisses as she snuggled into him. He struggled to sit up and looked at the two boys who were laughing wildly at his predicament. "That's a very nice castle you're building, but I'm afraid I have to find your mother." He extricated himself from his daughter's arms and placed her back by the boys. "Keep an eye on her, okay?"

"Yes Dad," they both replied.

The man turned away from his children and looked out towards the waves, still searching. He finally spotted her out in the waves, his beautiful, lively, wonderful wife. He made his way toward the figure with vibrant red hair and immersed himself in the salty water, swimming fast. The water was only chest deep, and as he reached her he wrapped her up in his arms. They shared salty sweet, tender kisses that seemed to go on forever.

"Ginny," he breathed into her neck, "Oh Ginny."

"Harry," she responded, kissing him soundly. He pulled away and looked at her for a second. He heard a dull pounding in his ears.

"Ginny. I love you so much." The pounding became louder. He thought it was the waves.

"Harry, I..."

"Up! Get up you lazy layabout!" Petunia Dursley yelled, while pounding on the door to the small bedroom. Startled, he woke from his dream. He realized the pounding must have been his Aunt trying to wake him up. He wished she hadn't. Something always happened to wake him up before he heard the three words. He could still remember the day, almost a year ago, when he cornered her at Grimmauld Place and initiated their relationship.

He had wanted to catch her the minute she woke up. However, since he had been up worrying all night about what he would say to her, he had slept in and now had to search the house for her. Frustrated, he jumped into the shower so he would at least look presentable when he made a fool out of himself. He remembered yesterday when they had lain out under the stars in the back garden, talking about Sirius. She was the only person he felt comfortable discussing Sirius with. In many ways, she had helped him move forward after his death than anyone or anything in the previous six weeks. Surprisingly, he found that his hatred and pain had lessened slightly while talking to her. (Now, all he received was an odd twinge)

He found Ginny in the garden again, facing away from the house. He snuck up behind her and placed his hands over her eyes, saying "Guess who!"

"Harry! You scared the life out of me!" she screamed.

"Sorry," he said sheepishly.

"What's up?"

"I wanted to talk to you. I had a wonderful time last night."

"So did I, Harry"

"Ginny," he stammered, "I think I like you."

"Well, I like you too, Harry."

"No, I mean I like you, as in more than a friend. I want to start a relationship with you, if you'll have me."

"Oh Harry. I think I would like that too." She wrapped her arms around him and he pulled her in for a kiss...

The pounding on the door broke him out of his reverie. "Get up! Now!" his Aunt called again.

"Coming Aunt Petunia," he answered. He dragged on some of Dudley's old clothes. They fit him better around the waist, since Dudley had lost quite a bit of weight over the last school year. However, Harry was a few inches taller than his cousin, so the sleeves and pants were at least two inches too short. Suddenly, a small furry ball of fluff hit the window. "Pig!" he cried, and quickly opened the window. The small owl immediately zoomed around the ceiling. He dropped a letter on Harry's head, and Harry tore it open.

Harry,

Great news! Dumbledore's said you've been at the muggles' house long enough! Mum and Dad are going to come by and get you later tonight, around 6:00. Dumbledore's set up a portkey that will make it past the wards. Can't wait for you to get here!

Ron

Harry could hardly contain his excitement as he began to pack everything into his trunk. Fortunately, it wasn't very much, because the minute he finished, his Aunt pounded on the door once again. "If you aren't down here in two minutes, you aren't getting any breakfast!" she screeched.

Harry sighed. Even with the warning at the end of his fifth year, they had still treated him as something lower than dirt. And Aunt Petunia abhorred dirt. He rushed the rest of his packing and then ran downstairs and seated himself at the table.

Aunt Petunia pushed a plate in front of him. It contained small bits of bacon and one egg. It was hardly enough for a sick child, but Harry didn't complain; he didn't want that little bit taken away as well.

"Today you are going to tidy up, vacuum and dust. Then after that, you can mow the lawn and pull weeds in the front flowerbeds. If you don't finish by lunch, you won't be getting any. Then you can do the back flowerbeds and the garden before dinner," she ordered, after he was finished eating.

"The Weasleys are coming to get me at six. I won't be coming back until next summer," he said, attempting to hide the happiness in his voice. He headed upstairs to begin his tasks.

After finishing all of his morning tasks in record time, Harry had a little time left over before lunch. He decided to start on the back garden. As he was pulling weeds, he heard a shuffling noise behind him. He jumped and pulled out his wand.

"Put that away!" Tonks hissed, pulling off her invisibility cloak.

"Tonks! What are you doing here?" he answered, while stuffing his wand back into his pocket.

"What do you think I am doing here? I'm your guard for the day!"

"Oh," he replied, feeling stupid.

"I just wanted to say hello, since you look like you have a lot of work to do today."

"Aunt Petunia is trying to get as much out of me as she can before I leave tonight," he explained.

"Uh huh. Whatever you say Harry. Did they feed you today?" she sarcastically asked, pulling the cloak back on. "Have a good time with that."

"Yes they fed me today! They feed me everyday!" he angrily replied to the air. Harry admitted that sometimes they didn't feed him very much, but why should he complain when it would only make things worse? He resumed pulling weeds. After finishing the weeds, he hoed the garden. By then, it was lunchtime, and Aunt Petunia was calling him in to wash. For lunch, she gave him a sandwich and some water. It was more than he expected, but he hid his surprise anyway.

His afternoon task took longer than he expected, but he still finished a long time before dinner. He went inside and showered, pulling on some of Ron's old clothes, since Ron had gone through a growth spurt over the past year. They fit Harry much better than Dudley's old clothes, and he wanted to look at least semi-presentable when his friends arrived. Suddenly, he realized that he wouldn't have to come back to Privet drive again, since he was going to graduate at the end of this year. Surely Dumbledore wouldn't make him come back after that, especially if the final confrontation between himself and Voldemort happened during the year. Harry was predicting something for Halloween, and then the final battle to be just before school ended. On that note, he packed everything else he owned (which turned out to be a lot more than he expected) and then dragged his trunk downstairs.

The Dursleys were just sitting down to dinner when Harry dragged his trunk into the living room. "Boy! Where do you think you're going?" Uncle Vernon demanded.

"Didn't Aunt Petunia tell you? I'm leaving for the rest of the summer," he explained, leaving out that he might not ever have to come back; he didn't want to get their hopes up.

"She ruddy well did not! Where are you going?" Out of the corner of his eye he saw his wife cringe.

"The Weasleys are coming to get me at six. I'm going to stay with them the rest of the summer," Harry explained.

"And what if I say no?" Vernon sneered.

"They'll be coming to get me anyway," Harry calmly replied, trying not to lose his temper.

"Oh! They think they can just come and drag you out of here whenever they please? I think I'll have a talk with them," he said.

"What's the point? I'm going anyway." Harry was fast becoming angry.

Vernon stood and towered over Harry. "Don't take that tone with me boy!"

Harry glanced at the clock and saw that it was 5:59. He realized that since they were coming by portkey, they would be here at exactly 6:00. Might as well have some fun, he thought.

"I'll take whatever tone I want with you," he sneered. That set Vernon off. The purple blotchiness that had spread over his face became a sickly shade of white. He pulled his hand back to strike Harry. At that moment, a whoosh announced the arrival of the Weasley's in the living room. "Bye Uncle Vernon," he called as he rushed out of the kitchen.

Ron and Mr. Weasley were waiting for him. "All set there, Harry?" Ron asked.

"Yeah, let's get going, my uncle isn't in good humour," Harry replied, while grabbing his trunk. "I thought Mrs. Weasley was coming?"

"Yes, well, Mum is currently busy with a full course Weasley dinner," Ron replied, "She sends love, of course."

"Well, let's go then, portkey leaves in one minute," Mr. Weasley said. He took out a ruler and held it out to both boys. They took the ruler and Harry felt the familiar tug around his navel.

He landed in the kitchen of the Burrow, and swayed into Ron, thinking he would never get used to magical travel.

Mrs. Weasley was in the kitchen, hurrying to get dinner on the table. The family would be eating outside on tables. "Hello Harry, dear. How has your holiday been? No trouble from your relatives about you coming here?"

"No trouble at all, Mrs. Weasley, is Ginny around?" he asked.

"Harry, how many times must I ask you to call me Molly? " she asked, then, muttering under her breath, "You could call me Mum."

"What?" asked Harry, pretending he did not hear the last part. He wondered if she would repeat her words. Mrs. Weasley was the closest thing to a mother he had ever had.

"Oh nothing dear, Ginny is outside. When you go out, would you please set the tables for me?" she asked.

"Sure," he replied.

Upon going outside, he once again observed the tables flying around, only this time it was the Weasley twins, Fred and George, who were causing them to bash into each other. Ron and Ginny were cheering them on, when suddenly Fred's table (or was it George's?) managed to pin George's table (or Fred's) on the ground. The tables then righted themselves, and the twins turned and bowed.

"Hey Harry! Good of you to join us, we've been looking for some fresh meat," one called. Harry thought it was George, but it was hard to tell.

"Oh no, you don't," Harry replied, "I'm on to you two. You try anything and I guarantee you'll regret it tomorrow. When I come of age, remember?"

"Oh yeah, we remember," Fred smirked, "We've been planning it all week, since we begged Mum to let us decorate the party."

"Mum's letting you decorate the party? What was she thinking?" Ginny exclaimed.

"Oh we're very persuasive, little sister," Fred explained.

"Just imagine, streamers, fireworks, confetti, party hats..." George trailed off, with a dreamy look on his face.

"I'm not putting on any hats that come from you two, I'll probably disappear or turn red and gold and I am shutting up now because I can see that I am just giving you ideas!" Harry boldly stated.

"Oh we would never do that, that's much too low key. Just you wait, Harry, you're going to love our surprise." The twins gleefully bounded away.

"You better watch out, Harry," Ginny said, "The twins mean it when they say they've been working on this for ages."

"Right well, I have a few tricks up my sleeve for tomorrow, as well," he replied, winking at her. He tried to get her away from the boys, but then Mrs. Weasley's voice came from the kitchen.

"Boys! Ginny! Come help me carry this food out, will you?" she called.

They walked into the kitchen she handed them steaming pots and pans full of food types. After carrying them out to the tables, the Weasley family all sat down. As soon as their parents sat down, the twins dug in to the food, and everyone else followed right behind him.

"I remember the last time we did this," Harry said. "It was right before the Quidditch Cup in my fourth year. Remember, Ron?"

"I do, Harry. We had a great time, just like we're going to tomorrow, because surely Mum's going to outdo herself for your birthday."

"Mmmmmm," the whole table groaned in anticipation, even Mrs. Weasley, though maybe for a different reason.

"How are things at the Ministry, Mr. Weasley?" Harry asked.

"Well Harry, it's the same story it was before your holiday. Except lately aurors have been falsely tipped off to Death Eater meetings, and Lucius Malfoy has been seen mucking about again," Mr. Weasley explained.

"Malfoy? I thought he was on the run after that incident last year where he was caught at a muggle house!" Harry exclaimed.

"Yes, well it seems Minister Fudge has once again given him a full pardon, saying he was there to help the muggles, not harm them. It comes as no surprise, if Fudge could get him out of trouble after the mess at the end of your fifth year; I suppose this is a small matter."

"I'm not surprised anymore at the depths of stupidity that man can reach," Harry angrily said.

"Yes well, good news! This last decision has made him very unpopular, at last. I would be surprised if he lasted through the new year, if even that long!"

"But think of all the evil things he could do between now and then! Isn't there any way to get him sacked right now?"

"Unfortunately no, Harry. But we're trying," Mr. Weasley explained.

They spent the rest of the meal in mild conversation about Ginny's O.W.L.S, all 12 of them. Apparently, Ginny was top of all her classes every year. Harry was impressed, he only got nine, after all, and Ron got a respectable eight. Hermione, however, got 13, no surprise there. Ron still couldn't figure out where they all came from, no matter how often she explained it.

After dinner, Harry sat outside on the back steps, staring at the stars. They were beautiful, small points of light on a black field. On a spur of the moment, he grabbed his broom and went flying in the Weasleys' field. After about an hour, Ginny came looking for him.

"Harry! What possessed you to go flying?" she asked, while grabbing her broom and joining him.

"I don't know, Ginny. I just feel so alive when I'm in the air. It makes me feel free of all my worries.

She nodded, and they silently flew around the paddock. After a time, Ginny flew down and lay on her back under the stars. Harry joined her.

"Harry, do you ever wish that you could travel back in time, to see your parents?"

"I do. I think about it almost every day of my life, Ginny. But I know that if I actually had the chance, I would have to really think about going. I mean, they're my parents and of course I want to see them again, but I've got this whole idea of parents, and them and I don't know if I could put that in jeopardy. Do you wish you could go back to your first year and do it over again?"

"No. I'm who I am because of the experiences of my youth."

"Ginny, you're still a youth," he said, laughing.

"No, I'm not Harry. You can't see the things I've seen and still be a child, or even a teenager. And it isn't just from my first year. It's from all the experiences we've had together. It's from my third year, when I realized that Voldemort had returned. Also, it's from in my fourth year, when the death eater broke my ankle. But most of all, when I saw your face when you told us that Sirius was gone, when I knew that you blamed yourself, and there was nothing that I could do to help you..." She had to stop at this point, since Harry's lips were blocking the way of her mouth.

"Ginny," he murmured, "Oh Ginny, I don't know what I would do without you."

"Harry, I don't know what I would do without you either."

"Incentive to stay alive, huh?"

"Harry! Don't you even think about dying! You're going to defeat Voldemort and I'm going to be right by your side the whole way."

"Calm down Ginny, I was just kidding."

"I know, I just love you so much that I don't even want to think about it...what?" she asked, seeing the look on his face. Harry was staring at her in wonder.

"You love me?" This was not how it went in his dreams. He always imagined he'd be the first to say something.

"Did I say that? Oh Merlin Harry. I love you so much."

"Ginny, I love you too." This ensured another fifteen minutes of snogging, before Ginny pulled away.

"We'd better get inside before Mum sends a search party."

"That worried about me, huh?"

"I think it's more of a worry about me, actually."

"I suppose, you being the only Weasley girl, after all."

"Yeah," she replied, "That's why."

They walked into the kitchen. Everything was cleaned up and the rest of the Weasleys were in the living room.

"There you two are!" shouted many voices.

"We were just flying, is all," Harry quickly explained.

"Oh sure, just flying is all," Ron snickered, as the two of them turned deep red.

"I think I'll turn in now," Harry said, practically running up the stairs.

His room was formerly Percy's room, but since Percy moved out, and Fred and George didn't want separate rooms, the room was the "guest room" but really it was Harry's. Ron didn't even complain when he couldn't have it, since it was bigger by far than his, and there was no noise from the attic. Harry threw himself onto the bed, after changing into his red and gold striped Gryffindor pyjamas that Hermione had gave him last Christmas.

He lay awake for a long time, as was his custom on the eve of his birthday. He counted down the minutes, glad that he could finally celebrate his birthday somewhere other that the Dursleys'. Two minutes to go, then one minute, and then, finally it was midnight and Harry was of age in the Wizarding World. At that moment, there was a soft tap on the door. He shot out of bed and opened it.

Ron was standing in the smallish hallway, with a package wrapped in brown paper, and a huge grin on his face.

"Harry! Happy birthday!" he quietly exclaimed, handing him the package.

"Thanks Ron," Harry replied while tearing off the packaging. They moved to the bed in the room.

The package contained an assortment of odds and ends. It included a chess piece, a miniature sword that vaguely looked like Godric Gryffindor's sword, a new sneakoscope, an official Quidditch World Cup golden snitch, a mint condition copy of his interview in The Quibbler, a picture of Harry, Hermione, Ron, and Ginny at the opening of the Weasleys' Wizarding Wheezes in Hogsmeade, and, finally, an old key.

"What is all this, Ron?" Harry asked.

"Well, it's something for each year that we've been friends. The chess piece is part of McGonagall's giant chess set that she made smaller for me. The sword is for Gryffindor's sword that you killed the basilisk with. The sneakoscope is for the one I gave you third year, which kept going off all the time. The snitch is an exact copy of the one that was used in the Quidditch World Cup in our fourth year. The Quibbler article is from when you defied that Umbridge cow, the picture is for sixth year, and the key is for the flat that we will all be living in at the end of this year," Ron replied, picking up each item in turn.

"Flat? What are you talking about?"

"Mum and Dad and most of the Order, have pitched in on a year's rent of a flat in London, for you and I, and possibly Hermione, if she agrees. It's near Diagon Alley."

"You mean I have my own place? Can we stay there during the holidays?"

"If Dumbledore says that we can, we can, but mind you they are combing every inch of it for weaknesses, and setting up wards. The place is almost an impenetrable fortress."

"Have you seen it?" Harry asked.

"Have I seen it? Hell, Harry, who do you think picked it out?"

"A year's rent? When no one will really be living in it until next June? That's not a very good deal. Not that I don't appreciate it," Harry observed.

"Well, you see, the owners of the flat were really understanding when they found out it was you staying there. The year's rent doesn't start until June, but for a deposit and advance rent, they let us have it already. I don't think they had many people interested in the place."

"Well when can I go see it?"

"Today, I imagine. I think as soon as Hermione gets here and we've all had breakfast," Ron replied.

"Wow. Thank you so much for this, Ron." Harry had tears in his eyes. "You can't even understand what it feels like to have my own place. And your gift was so thoughtful. I couldn't have wanted anything else."

Ron's ears turned as red as his hair. "It was nothing Harry. What are best friends for?"

"I couldn't have asked for a better one either. I sometimes imagine what life would have been like if I would have shook hands with Malfoy. It seems like forever ago. I think I would have been something of a servant boy; I'm too small to be a bodyguard, and certainly not an equal."

"We should get to bed, if we want to be up earlier so we can go see our new place," Ron stated, getting up from the bed.

"Yes, I imagine Mum would be upset if we slept all day."

This caused Ron to pause in the doorway. "What did you say?"

"I said Mum will be upset if we sleep all day. Are you deaf, Ron?"

"You said Mum," Ron explained.

A look of comprehension dawned on Harry's face. "I suppose I did. You don't mind do you? I mean after all, you're like my brother."

"Not at all, you just look so weird with out the trademark red hair and freckles. Call her Mum tomorrow, and I bet you a sickle that she drops whatever she is holding and goes all teary."

"I will. But I bet you a sickle that while she drops whatever she is holding, she also squeezes the life out of me."

"You're on."

"Goodnight, Ron."

"Night, Harry."

Harry was just getting into bed when another soft knock on the door occurred. He got back up and opened the door. Ginny was now standing in the hallway. She slid into the room and pushed the door shut behind her. She was wide eyed, pale and shaking slightly.

"Ginny!" he whispered, "What's wrong?" She flew into his accepting arms. He held her as she sobbed. "Gin, tell me what happened."

"Oh Harry, it was awful. You were dead and Ron was dead and Hermione and Mum and Dad and everyone! And Tom was laughing at me and..."

"You had a nightmare? Oh Ginny, it's all right. I'm right here. I'm not dead. Ron's not dead, he was just in here. Your Mum and Dad are sleeping. Hermione will be here tomorrow. Everyone is just fine."

"It was so horrible though," she hiccupped.

"Come on, you can sleep here tonight," he said, leading her to the bed. They slid under the covers, and Harry wrapped his arms around her. She was still shaken up, however, so he held her while she calmed down, and eventually fell asleep. Soon after that, he followed her to dreamland.