Chapter 7: A New Family
Remus came in to wake Harry and Ron the next morning. Harry had listened the night before and went to bed at a decent time. He pulled on one of Dudley's old t-shirts and a pair of jeans 3 sizes too big that had to be held up with a belt. Remus didn't look much better in a ratty pair of tan corduroys and an oversized polo shirt, the best Muggle clothes he owned.
"When do we leave? Do I have time to tell the others about the prophecy?" Harry asked as they headed for breakfast. Winky had insisted on cooking breakfasts so Mrs. Weasley did not need to be up so early.
"Yes, we don't want to get to your Aunt's until your Uncle is gone," Remus told him. "Why don't you tell them right after breakfast? I can be there for support if you like." They entered the kitchen; the others were halfway through their meal. When they were done Harry cleared his throat.
"There's something else you all should know. It's something Dumbledore told me at the end of last year." Harry said, he suddenly had everyone's undivided attention. "The reason Voldemort was at the Department of Mysteries was to obtain the prophecy, the one that smashed. Dumbledore told me what was in the prophecy, he was the one the prophecy was made to before I was born." Harry went on to tell them everything Dumbledore had told him at the end of last year. When he finished, Hermione and Ginny were crying and Ron looked like he had been hit with a bludger.
"That's why we got to join the Order. I need to learn everything I can to be able to defeat Voldemort." Harry said to his friends, who were taking the news as badly as he thought they would. "I just wanted to be the one to tell you, I didn't want it to come up at an order meeting."
"We will help you, Harry," Hermione said trying to stop her tears from falling.
"You can count on us to do whatever it takes to get you trained, just like with the Tri-wizard tournament," Ron told him. Ginny just jumped up and hugged him tightly, not having the ability to talk through her tears.
"Harry, it's time to go," Remus said gently.
"It's ok Gin," Harry told the redhead who was trembling in his arms. "We'll get through this," he whispered reassuringly in her ear before pulling out of the embrace. Both Ron and Hermione hugged him before he was ushered out of the house by Remus.
"He never gets a break does he?" Ron asked out loud. "Every time we think things are starting to go our way, something happens to bring us back to reality."
"At least we have an idea of why Voldemort killed his parents and why he keeps trying to kill him." Hermione added, "It's just so intense, kill or be killed." Ginny broke down in sobs and ran up to her room.
"Why is she so upset? We're his best friends; we should be the ones that are upset!" Ron questioned, shrugging his shoulders. Hermione just shook her head at how dense boys were.
Harry and Remus arrived back on Privet Drive. "I thought it would be longer until I had to come back here." He joked, "But this is the first time I've ever volunteered to come here."
"Let's hope it's the last time you have to," Remus said putting his arm around Harry's shoulder in a fatherly way. Harry had never felt so secure with the prospect of seeing his relatives. Remus rang the doorbell.
"What are you doing here?" Petunia asked both angry and scared. "I thought we were through with you until next year."
"That's what we are here to discuss Mrs. Dursley," Lupin said, "If we may come in, I'm sure you would not want the neighbors to overhear our conversation." Those were the 'magic' words to get her to usher them into the living room. "We have determined a method to transfer the protection that Lily gave to Harry so that you would not have to be his guardian anymore."
"Good, now get out of my house." She said, thinking the conversation was over.
"It's not that simple Aunt Petunia, the only way is to transfer the protection to another person with a complicated spell." Harry told her, "If you don't let us do the spell, you'll still be stuck taking care of me. I'll probably even have to stay the rest of the summer."
"This is the only way?" She asked, if Vernon knew she let them do magic in their house he would leave her for sure.
"Yes it is," said a voice from behind them, startling Harry as well as making Petunia give out a little scream. Harry turned around to see Professor Dumbledore standing in the living room. "Shall we get started, this may take a while." Petunia just nodded, too scared of the man with the long beard that just appeared out of nowhere. "Harry you will need to sit in the middle of the couch, Petunia you and Remus need to sit on either side of him." Dumbledore stood in front of the three of them with his wand drawn.
An hour later the process was complete and Harry was taking his last look at Privet Drive. "So how does it feel to be free?" Remus asked him, Dumbledore had already taken his leave of the two.
"It's an amazing feeling. I feel lighter like a weight was just lifted off my shoulders. I've never told anyone this, but when I was little I always wished that I had died in the car crash with my parents, I was so alone all my life. But then I met Hagrid and went to Hogwarts. I have true friends and now I'm going to have the family I always longed for." Harry didn't feel stupid sharing his feelings with Remus, it felt natural.
"Is there anywhere in muggle London you want to go before we head back to the Leaky Caldron?" Remus asked, "We might as well stop while we are here?"
"Yes, now that I'm free of the Dursleys I want to be free of Dudley's hand me down clothes." Harry said, "We are going shopping!"
They spent the rest of the morning going from shop to shop. Harry bought jeans and pants, trainers and dress shoes and a wide assortment of shirts. He had ditched his old clothes at the first shop and was now dressed in a pair of dark denim jeans and a perfect fitting green polo that showed off his muscles and accented his eyes. Remus had gotten himself a few new muggle outfits as well at Harry's bidding.
"You knew we were going to go shopping here huh?" Harry asked as Remus pulled a wad of muggle money out to pay for their purchases.
"I was going to make you go, I figured if you have more money than you could spend in three lifetimes, you shouldn't be dressed like a beggar." Remus laughed, they had a great time in muggle London. Harry was impressed with Remus' knowledge of muggles. "Your mother was always teaching me about the muggle way of life, I was the only one who would listen. I found it fascinating." He told him.
"There's one more stop I want to make," Harry told him, leading Remus into an eye care office. "Hello, I would like to have my eyes checked." He told the lady behind the counter. It was one of those places you could walk into and walk out with glasses in under an hour. Harry hadn't seen an eye doctor in over 10 years; he figured it would be smart to get his eyes checked. He needed new glasses and wanted to try contacts as well.
He picked out a pair of glasses the same shape as his old ones, except these were slimmer and didn't hide his eyes as much. He got a few boxes of disposable contacts as well; the lady was surprised his 'father' was going to let him get both. Remus thought that was very funny, they looked nothing alike.
"What do you think of the new me?" Harry asked doing a 360 for Remus. His clothes fit, they looked nice and the glasses made him look older.
"You just need a new pair of boots and you'll be perfect. I know just the place in Diagon Alley." Remus said as they entered the bar saying hello to Tom the innkeeper before venturing out to the shops. "We'll have to come back again when you get your school list, but I think we can afford to splurge a little."
Harry laughed; 'a little' was the understatement of the year. He could buy everything he ever wanted and still have money to burn. They went to the shoe store that Remus had been talking about and got Harry a pair of black dragon hide boots as well as another pair of shoes, black again of course to match his school robes. They went to Madame Malkin's Robes for All Occasions and they each bought new robes. Harry got a set of midnight blue and a set of burgundy with the Potter family crest embroidered on them. He also purchased a lot of wizard clothes and made sure Remus restocked his wardrobe as well. If they hadn't been wizards they wouldn't have been able to carry everything, but thanks to Remus' shrinking charm they only had one pocketful each before they were done.
"We better be getting back before the others get too worried. I don't want Mrs. Weasley to send the Order out looking for us." Harry laughed as they headed back home.
"I'll take your stuff up to your room and enlarge it," Remus told him.
"Thanks for everything today," Harry told him, "For taking me away from my horrible relative and for the fun day of shopping. I actually felt like a real kid for once."
"It was my pleasure Harry, and we'll be able to go out a lot more once we get the adoption finalized," Remus told him leaving him to find his friends and show off his new look.
He went up to the drawing-room; it was his favorite room of the house, to see if anyone was in there. Ginny sat with her head buried in a journal, writing up a storm. She didn't see him as he approached. "Hey Gin." He said quietly. She looked up smiling at his voice. Her eyes became bright as she took in his new look.
"You look wonderful Harry!" She gushed blushing. "I really like the new glasses; your eyes look so much greener."
"That might just be the shirt." Harry smiled, he knew he looked better, but Ginny couldn't take her eyes off of him. "It's a lot different having clothes that are your own size, I had to have the lady measure me because I didn't know what size I was."
"Wait until Ron sees you, he's going to be jealous, he never gets his own clothes either. The only new thing he's gotten was dress robes from Fred and George." She said setting her diary down. "Is it fun to shop in muggle London?"
"Very much, maybe as soon as the adoption is final Remus will take us all again. I'm sure Hermione would love to show you all her favorite stores." Harry told her.
"Window shopping in London would be interesting," Ginny said looking down. She knew she couldn't afford to go shopping in Muggle London when all her clothes came off the second-hand rack as it was.
Harry seemed to read her mind; he took her hand and made her look at him. "You don't have to worry about money anymore Gin, I would be offended if you didn't let me take you and Ron shopping." She smiled in thanks.
"Just don't tell mum, you know she'll go all crazy." She laughed looking into Harry's piercing green eyes. "Your eyes are so amazing Harry, I wish my eyes had the sparkle yours do."
He had been staring into her eyes as she said that and noticed the specks of red and purple and blue in the soft chocolate brown. "The do have it, you have all kinds of colors in your eyes, it's like a kaleidoscope of colors. I'm sorry I never noticed before, they really are beautiful." He told her, tenderly brushing her flaming red hair out of her face.
"Am I interrupting something?" Hermione asked with a smirk from the doorway to the hall. "I didn't know you were home yet Harry."
"I was just showing Ginny my new look," He said turning around, not before noticing Ginny turning a deep shade of red at Hermione's comment, "So what do you think?" He said turning full circle for his friend.
"It's an awfully big day for you Harry; you got rid of everything Dursley. New guardian, new clothes, new glasses, even new boots! Are those dragonhide?" She asked amazed at Harry's new appearance. He was handsome. His new fitting clothes showed off his Quidditch figure and the shirt showed how toned his biceps and chest was from flying. His eyes looked larger and it was if he could pierce you with his emerald gaze. Ginny better watch out, not only was Harry Potter one of the most famous wizards, but he was hot too. His groupies were never going to go away now.
"Remus and I had a lot of fun in muggle London, and we went to Diagon Alley too. I'd only ever been clothes shopping when I got my Hogwarts robes!" He laughed.
"Nice threads there Harry!" Fred said walking in and inspecting Harry.
"Yeah, I dig the boots, and the new glasses are way better," George added.
"You'd think you have money to spend now or something," Fred teased.
"Nah, he just didn't want us to steal all the girls!" George winked, noticing the menacing look his sister gave him for that comment.
"You're going to have to fight them off with a stick," Fred added, not noticing Ginny fuming at the course of the conversation. "You could send some our way when you get through with them."
"Come on now, Harry is not like that." Hermione scolded the twins.
"Yeah, I'm sick of girls who only want me because I'm the bloody Boy-Who-Lived! I'm not some trophy to parade around the school." He thought bitterly of Cho and her never-ending stream of tears. "Where's Ron?" He asked realizing his best mate was not in the room with them.
"He and Hermione were at it again and he said some things mum didn't approve of and now he's cleaning the kitchen with mum watching." Ginny giggled.
"What did he say this time?" He asked noticing Hermione's cheek flushing.
"He was upset when he found out I was writing to Victor." Hermione told them, "Then he went into a rant about him, I had stopped listening even before Mrs. Weasley yelled at him." She said tired, Ron was such an idiot. "I swear you boys are so thick it surprises me you don't bang your heads into things they are so heavy."
"Oi, that's not fair. We all know Ron's as big a git as they come, but the rest of us are not as bad!" George told her.
"So why were you writing to Victor anyway?" Harry asked to change the subject.
"We still keep in touch, we owl every two or three months with what has been going on in each other's lives. He just owled me to tell me about his new girlfriend and I was writing back to tell him congratulations when the king of overreacting came in and got the wrong idea." She told them.
"If he'd just get over it and admit he liked you things would be a lot calmer," Harry said sitting down in his favorite lounge chair.
"What?" The others said. Hermione smiled; maybe Harry wasn't as thick as Ron when it came to picking up on feelings.
"It's obvious he likes you 'Moine, he just hasn't even realized it himself. He gets all upset anytime someone says something about you and look how he reacts when anyone even mentions Krum!" Harry told her, "I'm not a total idiot, I can see he does."
"Little Ronniekins loves our dear Hermione, it's just way too cute." Fred said, "Almost sickening really."
"Next thing you'll be telling us is that you fancy Ginny and that the four of you are off to kill Voldy before he gets you so that you can all live happily ever after." George kidded, not knowing how close he was to the truth. Ginny immediately started crying and Hermione looked like she had just failed an exam.
The two girls sat on the sofa and Harry explained the prophecy to Fred and George, who looked like they needed one of their Mirth-Mellows to cheer them up. "We're sorry Harry, we didn't know," Fred said patting him on the shoulder.
"Tough break mate," George added, "You know we've got your back when you need it."
"Thanks," Harry said standing, "Let's go down and get some lunch; I'm starving."