Something For Harry

Something for Harry
by: Mae Silverpaws

The faint ringing of the doorbell caused Harry to look up from the book he was reading. That's odd, he thought. No one ever comes to four Privet Drive at two o'clock in the afternoon. Aunt Petunia will be upset with unexpected company.

"Harry!" Aunt Petunia's shrill voice shot up the staircase, "The door is for you! Boy, don't be rude and keep your company waiting!"

Harry jumped off his bed and allowed his book to close with a bang. His sudden movements, startled Hedwig, his owl, and caused her to hoot rather loudly. "Quiet Hedwig or Aunt Petunia won't let you go out tonight," Harry said, as he shut his door. Turning to head down the stairs Harry walked directly into his rather large cousin Dudley.

"Move Dudley," said Harry. "Your mum said the door is for me and I shouldn't keep my guests waiting."

"It can't be for you," said Dudley in his very slow way. "Mum must have been mistaken or playing a trick on you." Dudley squared his shoulders, puffed out his chest and stood his ground so that Harry couldn't get past.

"Oh come off it Duds. Let me down there," Harry said, trying to dodge under one of Dudley's massive arms. Harry reached into the long pocket on the side of his jeans with a sly look on his face.

Dudley suddenly went white and began to scream like a girl. "Mum Harry's gonna do you-know-what!"

"Oh get a grip, Dudley," Harry said, removing his hand from his pocket, "I was only gonna give you a pound note to get out of my way."

"Mum! Harry's got his own money!" hollered Dudley.

"Yes, Dudsy, Mummy knows. Harry ran some errands for Mrs. Figg the other day and she insisted on paying him. Now let him down the stairs. His company is still on the stoop and the neighbors will start to talk if the door doesn't open again soon."

Harry smiled as he slipped past Dudley and raced down the stairs before Dudley decided to help him down with a push. Flinging open the door, Harry was very surprised to see two of his favorite people there. Ron Weasley, his best friend, and Mrs. Weasley, Ron's mum.

"Hello, Harry dear," said Mrs. Weasley, a slightly mischievous grin on her face. "Would it be too much to ask if we could come in? The neighbors are starting to wonder what is going on, and I know how your aunt hates to appear out of the ordinary."

"Oh, yes, please," said Harry. "Won't you have a seat in the front room? Can I get you two anything?"

"Well, actually I would like to speak with your aunt, if she isn't too busy," said Molly Weasley, in a very businesslike manner.

"Er, yes ma'am, I'll get her for you," said Harry, his heart sinking into the pit of his stomach. In the almost 6 years he had known the Weasleys, Mrs. Weasley had never spoken to his aunt. Something terrible must be about to happen. Fearing other odd happenings like snow in July Harry quickly peaked out the window as he passed the front entryway. Nope no snow and the date, he checked his watch, was still July 30th.

"Aunt Petunia, Mrs. Weasley would like to speak with you. She and Ron are in the front room. Should I bring some tea in?"

"Oh whatever for," said his Aunt as she pushed past Harry. "That woman won't be in my house for very long, I can tell you that much."

"Oh, Mrs. Weasley," said Aunt Petunia in a sickly sweet voice, "You should have told me who you were at the door. Vernon and I have wanted to thank you for taking such an interest with Harry but we had no way of doing so since your type do not have telephones. What is the pleasure that brings you to our home?"

"Well, Arthur and I consider Harry one of our children. He is such a nice boy," said Mrs. Weasley. "Now, I am sure that Harry has filled you in on all the happenings in our world." Mrs. Weasley looked up just as Aunt Petunia turned a very peculiar shade of gray and sat down heavily on the chair across from Mrs. Weasley.

"Why, no, he hasn't. We don't talk about that here in my house," she said. "What has he done wrong now?"

"Oh, nothing wrong at all, Petunia," said Mrs. Weasley. "As a matter a fact, he has done some things wonderfully right. I am sure you would be very proud of him if you...oh never mind. I have a letter here from Albus, Professor Dumbledore, for you and your husband. Ron, Harry, would you please run up to Harry's room and start packing?"

Ron jumped up and headed for the stairs. "Come on, Harry!" he said, with a huge grin.

Harry stood and gave his Aunt and Mrs. Weasley a confused look.

"It's alright, Harry," said Mrs. Weasley reassuringly. "Your aunt and I have a lot to talk about. Ron will explain it all when you get upstairs."

Harry followed Ron up the stairs with Dudley on their heels.

"How dare that... that... that woman order you around in MY house!" said Dudley, with an indignant air, "Who does she think she is anyway?"

"She happens to be MY Mum," said Ron, pulling himself up to his full 6 feet 4 inch height. Harry being only 5 foot 11 inches suddenly felt very small. Ron had shot up in height again over the summer and had broadened across his chest, as well. Ron turned to Harry and said, "This is your room, right?"

Harry nodded and turned to go in but stood with his mouth wide open as Dudley yelled, "Mum! There are people in Harry's room!"

He was right. Standing among the boxes scattered all over his floor were the Weasley twins, Fred and George.

"Why, hello, Harry," said Fred, cheerily.

"Taffy, Dursley?" asked George, with a twinkle in his eye.

"Arrrrrrrgh!" screamed Dudley, as he pushed past Harry and scrambled to his own room.

"Gee I wonder what was wrong with him," said Fred.

"I was only trying to be friendly," said George. Both the twins broke down into fits of giggles.

"What," gulped Harry, "are you all doing here?" he asked sitting down heavily on his desk chair.

"You're going to come live with us," said Ron.

"Huh?" Harry looked at Ron, very confused.

"What our little Ronny-kins is trying to say," said George, "is that Mum and Dad have been talking with Dumbledore for weeks now, and they have persuaded him to let you come live with Mum, Dad, Ron and Ginny. Percy moved out and lives close to The Ministry Office now and Fred and I have our own place in Hogsmeade, so the house has the room. It took a lot of talking but Dumbledore finally gave in, I think it is because you will seventeen soon and Dumbledore really can't make you stay here anymore."

Harry looked very confused and glanced from Ron to George to Fred. "He can't? You mean tomorrow I could leave?"

"Well yes," said George, "you can be on your own legally at seventeen. It's not a very good idea, mind you, but the authorities couldn't make you go back either. And not being done with Hogwarts yet, how would you keep your flat anyway? Mum has a letter explaining everything to your aunt and uncle. So, come on! Help us pack up your stuff."

Harry just sat there and grinned. He was leaving number four Privet Drive and it looked like he would never have to come back unless he wanted to! "My trunk is in the cupboard under the stairs. I'll get it."

"Oh let us," said George. "We can do magic out of school now, you know, and can just float it up the stairs."

"No magic allowed in this house, George," said Harry.

"OK," George said, as he and his brother trooped down the stairs in search of Harry's school trunk.

"Ron?" Harry inquired, placing some of his clothes into a box. "What is this all about?"

"Just like George and Fred said. Mum and Dad have been telling Dumbledore for years that you need a family. A real family. They have spoken with him on and off for most of the summer and finally somehow convinced him that we would be the perfect family for you. George is probably right though. When you turn 17 you can legally move out after all and even Dumbledore couldn't make you stay here anymore if you really didn't want to. I guess with You-Know-Who back and all he must have figured you were safer with us then on your own. And after a lot of conditions, Dumbledore agreed. The biggest thing is, we can't Apparate within a half mile of the house. But, besides that, there are no big changes. Now, Dad gets to drive his car to town and park at the train depot and Apparate from there to work. He gets a kick out of cause its so muggle like, you know."

"Harry!" came Aunt Petunia's shrill voice from the front room. "Come down here this instant, boy!"

"Coming," answered Harry.

Harry stood in front of his Aunt and his best friends mum. Two women he never expected to meet, let alone be in the same room together.

"Yes, Aunt Petunia?"

"Well, it seems that Dumbledore has decided that the Weasleys house is a better place for you to be then your home here, even though this place has been safe enough for the last 16 years. You will be living with these people now. I do not wish to receive bad reports from them. You will do as you are told and not be a lazy boy. Do you understand me?" Turning to Mrs. Weasley she added, "Don't be soft on him just because he is The Boy Who Lived."

Harry's jaw dropped as he stared at his aunt. "Yes, Harry, I know who and what you are. I may not approve but...." She stood suddenly, engulfing Harry in a quick hug and then walked out of the room.

Stopping at the doorway she turned back around and said, "Please, have all of your belongings out before your Uncle gets home. You know how he gets around those people."

"I'm really going to go live with you?" asked Harry, looking at Mrs. Weasley. "Honest?"

"Yes, you are my dear," Mrs. Weasley said as she placed her arm around Harry's shoulders. "Now, where is your room? I am sure that George and Fred need supervising by now."

Harry smiled at Mrs. Weasley as he showed her the way to his old room.

The five of them had Harry's belongings packed up in no time and they were all out of four Privet Drive and on the way to the Burrow a full half hour before Mr. Dursley was due home from work. Fred, George and most of Harry's belongings Apparated to The Burrows while Mrs. Weasley, Ron and Harry drove Mr. Weasley's car.

Dinner that evening at the Burrow was a chaotic, wonderful experience. All of the Weasley's were there, Bill, Charlie, Charlie's new wife Anna, Percy, Fred, George, Ron, Ginny and the Weasley parents. Even Hermione and Neville came to celebrate. Hermione and Neville would be staying the next day, too, since it was Harry's 17th birthday.

Long after everyone had gone to sleep, Harry lay on his bed in Ron's room and listened to the old house settle and to the family clock tick. That clock had always intrigued Harry. It wasn't a regular clock. It didn't tell time; it told where family members were. Every Weasley family member had his or her own hand. The clock said things like Hogwarts, work, traveling, home and a few other places that Harry couldn't remember. Harry lay there wondering if his parents' house had had such a clock. Harry fell asleep thinking about that clock.

"Wake up, Harry!" said Ginny, jumping onto his bed. "It's time to get up, silly."

Harry opened his eyes to see the beautiful face of Virginia Weasley, the only girl in the Weasley clan. Her bright, red hair was still tousled from her night's sleep. Harry smiled and reached for his glasses. Only one more year of glasses, he thought, and then I can get my sight fixed magically.

"Morning Gin!" he said.

"Morning, Birthday guy," said Ginny, kissing Harry on the cheek. Ginny quickly pulled away and turned almost as red as her hair. "You have to hurry and come down stairs before Dad has to go to work. Come on get up."

Ginny grabbed the sheet from Harry's bed and started toward the door.

"Hey! Give me that!" yelled Harry as he scrambled for the covers.

Five minutes later Harry bounded down the stairs. Mr. Weasley was at the table with his eggs, toast and coffee, but unlike Harry's Uncle Vernon, he was not hiding behind his paper and giving grunt type answers to his wife. They were actually talking and laughing with each other. Harry was smiling from ear to ear as he strolled into the room.

"Good morning, everyone!" Harry said as he headed towards Mrs. Weasley. "Anything I can help with?"

"Oh, not today, dear," said Mrs. Weasley kindly. "Today is your day, so, as with any other Weasley, helping is not required."

Harry sat at the table wondering if he looked like he could burst from happiness.

Once Hermione, Neville, Ron and Ginny had all sat at the table Mr. Weasley cleared his throat and said, "May I have everyone's attention, please? This coming Saturday we will all be heading to Diagon Alley for school supplies. Neville, I have already spoken with you Grandmother and she has agreed to meet us there so you all may shop together. And of course Hermione we will be meeting you and your parents like normal."

Neville smiled almost as widely as Harry.

"But, before I head off to work, I wanted to show you all something. Mr. Weasley pointed at the family clock. An extra hand had been added! Harry felt his eyes start to prickle. The new hand said Harry J. Potter.

"Since we have a new member of the family, your Mum and I have decided that we needed a new hand on the family clock. Harry, I hope you don't mind us doing this? You also have a big decision to make. Since you are family now, I personally think that Mr. and Mrs. are too formal a title to be used. If you would like, you may call us Aunt Molly and Uncle Arthur. Molly and I  have talked it over with Professor Lupin and Sirius they both think your parents would approve of  those titles. No rush on this, son. Whatever and whenever you feel comfortable."

Harry looked around the table at his family. Yes, his family, not a group of people that were forced to take him in and have to deal with him. Harry remembered the hug Mrs. Weasley had given him after the Triwizard Tournament, how Mr. Weasley had tried to talk with him when Sirius had escaped from wizarding prison and everyone thought Sirius was after Harry to hurt him. Harry smiled as he remembered his one and only howler that had come from Mrs. Weasley after Harry and Ron had driven Mr. Weasley's flying car to school instead of taking the Hogwarts express and how Mr. and Mrs. Weasley always remembered him at Christmas with a present.

"Since my first Christmas at Hogwarts, I have thought of you all here as my family." Harry looked around at everyone at the table. "If you would allow it, I would be honored to call you Mum and Dad."

Harry lifted his glasses to wipe his eyes. This was the best birthday he could remember. Yes, even better then his 11th birthday when Hagrid told him he was a wizard and rescued him from the Dursleys. He had an honest to goodness family now.

Mrs. Weasley leaned down from behind him and gave him a hug. "I would be proud to have you call me Mum, Harry. You are a good boy." She kissed the top of his head and then quickly turned to get breakfast together.

Harry smiled. He had a family and his own hand on the Weasley family clock.