“Ron, I’m worried about Harry.”

Ron looked up from his chess game with Ginny to look at Niamh.  She was visiting her aunt in Ottery St. Catchpole for a week while her parents were on a trip to America and had told her aunt she ‘just so happened’ to remember one of her school friends lived there.  So, Niamh had trudged up to the Burrow on her first day there and had been coming ever since.  Today was Wednesday and she was sitting on the Weasley’s couch reading the now slightly battered book of hexes and curses she and Harry passed between each other.

“Why?”

“I don’t know.  Because he hasn’t written anything to either of us?” replied Niamh irritably.

Ginny frowned and said, “Maybe he forgot.”

Niamh shook her head.  “You’ve met Harry, Ginny.  He stayed here for…what? a month?”

“Something like that,” muttered Ron as he peered down at the chessboard.

“Okay, so, Gin, you know he doesn’t forget things.”

“Forgets to do his homework.”

“Ron, you forget to do your homework.  Harry waits till the last minute and does it in class.”

“Oh.  Right.  So, what do you want to do?  Go to…where was it again?”

“His aunt and uncle’s house,” sighed Niamh.

“Yeah.  His aunt and uncle’s house and check on him?”

“Actually I would like…”

She was interrupted when a large black bird shot into the living room from the kitchen, followed by an angry-looking Mrs. Weasley.

“Would someone care to explain what that is?”

Niamh looked at the bird, which had perched on the mantelpiece and gasped, “Jardin?”

Ron’s head came up (he was too engrossed in the chess game to notice the bird’s entrance) and he whirled to look at the raven.  “Jardin?”

< The one and only.  Now, could you please tell her not to hit me with that rather large frying pan? >

Niamh jumped up and said, “That’s Harry’s bird, Mrs. Weasley!”

Mrs. Weasley frowned and asked, “Why does Harry have a raven?  I thought he bought that lovely snowy owl – what did he call it?”

“Hedwig,” said Niamh softly.  “Draco Malfoy killed her and Harry got Jardin for Christmas.”

“From who?”

“Apparently someone who hadn’t liked what Malfoy did.”

Mrs. Weasley shook her head and said, “Malfoy’s.  Always Malfoy’s.”  With that she went back into the kitchen and Niamh turned back to Jardin.

Okay, what’s going on?  You’re here, you have no letter, and I am seriously pissed off now from remembering what Malfoy did to Hedwig.

Jardin made a sound in his throat then said, < Harry is in trouble.  His aunt – who I believe may be a relation to Malfoy (Ron made a hacking sound here) – told him he could not return to Hogwarts. >

“WHAT!!” screamed both Niamh and Ron.

< I haven’t finished.  A house-elf came into Harry’s cu-bedroom and told him that he couldn’t return to Hogwarts.  Something bad’s going to happen this year, kids. >

Niamh scowled at him then turned to Ron.

“What’s a house-elf?”

“They’re elves.  Mum’d like one.  They clean and all sorts of things.  Of course, they only come with big castles and old mansions.”

Niamh frowned then jerked as Jardin suddenly spoke once more.

< Oh, and Harry said to get him the hell out of there. >

Anything else?

< Do it any way you can. >

Niamh smiled.  That should be fun.

Fun?  What are we going to do?

Niamh grinned at Ron and said, “Find your brother’s.”

“Percy?  What will he do?”

“Not all your brother’s!  Fred and George.  We need their…expertise.”

“Niamh?”

“Yes, Ron?”

“What are we doing?”

“Rescuing Harry,” replied Niamh in a savage voice.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“Get in there and stay in there!”

Harry was flung into his cupboard by his aunt, landing hard on the floor.  He heard the lock snap closed and slowly sat up, wincing.  His aunt had officially given him his first beating.  He lifted his shirt and peered at the bruise purpling on his side.  Oh, that was going to be a beauty…

Putting his shirt back down, he climbed into his cot, wincing again as he hit one of the old scars.  Aunt Petunia had opened a few of the more recent one’s from Argil’s last beating a year ago.  Sighing, he buried his face in the pillow, almost wishing he were back with Argil.  The man may have beaten him, but he hadn’t hated him.

What seemed only a few minutes later, he heard the sound of someone sliding open the lock.  Sitting up, he pulled his wand from the holster he had bought when he was with the Weasley’s at Diagon Alley last year.  He kept it hidden under his baggy t-shirts at his aunt and uncle’s.  It was also the reason he was so fast at pulling his wand out.

Suddenly the door opened and he was looking into two familiar freckled faces.  “Fred!  George!” he whispered excitedly.  “What in the sod are ye two doin’ ‘ere?”

“Rescuing you,” replied George (or was that Fred?).

“Rescue?”

The twins nodded.

“So Jar made i’!”

“Yep.  Interesting bird, that one.”

“Yeah.  Seems it can talk.”

Harry nodded then said, “We’d better ge’ out o’ ‘ere.  If me aunt and uncle wake up…I’m dead.”

“Let’s go then.  We’ve got your trunk in the car.”

“Car?” said Harry incredulously as he dug through different things and grabbed his invisibility cloak.  He left everything else, even the clothes.  His aunt had given him Dudley’s old things, one of which he was wearing.

“Let’s go,” said Fred (or was that George?).  They headed upstairs and into the smallest bedroom, which was stuffed full of Dudley’s old toys.  Outside the window Harry could see an old turquoise car floating in midair.  Ron and Niamh were perched in the backseat, along with Jardin, who was sitting on Niamh’s shoulder.

“Harry!”

Harry quickly shushed his friend.

“Sshhh, Ni.  They catch me gettin’ ou’ and I’m dead.”

Niamh’s eyes widened and he thought he heard her mutter, “And I thought my parents were bad.”

Fred climbed through the window into the front seat of the car and George followed him.  Just as Harry was starting to climb through there was a shriek from downstairs and then his aunt appeared in the doorway.  He leapt for the car as she lunged at him.

“GO GO GO!!!” he bellowed at Fred as he dived through the back window of the car.  Fred punched the gas and they shot away from No. 4 Privet Drive.  Harry straightened in the backseat then said, “T’anks.”  He then hung partially out the window and saw his aunt staring up after them.  Waving cheerfully to her, he then sat back down.

And was buried under Niamh.

“Harry!  Your okay!”

Harry yelped as he hugged him, hitting out of his bruises.

Niamh pulled back and looked at him worriedly.

“What was that?”

Harry sighed and lifted his shirt for her to see.  Niamh gave a gasp of horror while Ron looked on in shock.  They had known about him getting beaten by Argil but had never seen his scars, which were now overcast by Aunt Petunia’s bruises.  George turned to look at what they were doing and froze.

“Harry, mate, what happened?”

Harry dropped his shirt and replied, “Aunt Petunia happened.  I t’ink she’s related ter Malfoy.”

“Oh no…” moaned Ron and Niamh.

“So could you, Harry.  Your face is rather…”  Ron’s voice drifted off as Harry scowled at him.

In the front seat George looked at Fred, who turned slightly to look before turning back around to drive.  He said quietly to George, “He looks even more like Professor Snape than before.”

“You don’t think…”

“I don’t know what to think.”

George nodded and leaned back in his seat, listening as Harry told Ron and Niamh about his month with the Dursley’s.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“Harry, dear, what happened to you?”

Mrs. Weasley had begun to fuss over Harry as soon as he got back to the Burrow.  She had firmly scolded her sons and Niamh then turned perfectly cheerful towards him.

“S’all righ’, Mrs. Weasley.  I’ve ‘ad worse.”

They were sitting in the kitchen and Mrs. Weasley was putting something on his bruises and reopened cuts.  Niamh entered the kitchen and blanched at the sight her friend (Harry had taken off his shirt).  She moved to sit down in the chair in front of him, her eyes going to each scar that marred his thin arms and chest.  Harry looked at her and said, “S’na tha’ bad, Ni.”

“Not that bad?  Harry, look at you!  You’ve got more scars than anyone rightly should have!”

Harry shrugged (“Harry, dear, don’t move.”) and said, “I’ve been through worse then anyone should ‘ave.  I lived on the stree’s, ‘member?”

“I remember.”

Suddenly Ginny ran into the kitchen, brown eyes widening when she saw Harry.  Her eyes went to each scar as Niamh’s had then she met his eyes.  “Harry?”

“‘Ello, Gin.  ‘Ow ‘ave ye been?”

“Good, good.  You?”

Harry shrugged again (“Harry, dear, stop moving.”) and said, “I’ve ‘ad better.”

Mrs. Weasley finished and said, “There.  Those should be healed up in a few days.  I can’t get rid of the scars though.”

“S’alrigh’, Mrs. Weasley.”

Mrs. Weasley nodded, looking at him rather sadly.  He smiled at her then turned back to Ginny and Niamh, both of whom were also looking rather sadly at him.  Harry said, “I’m fine.  Doan worry.”

“Oh, Harry!” cried Ginny and flung her arms around him.  Harry winced as she hit one of his bruises but didn’t say anything, simply hugged her in return.

“T’anks, Gin.”

Ginny blushed and mumbled, “Welcome.”

Harry grinned then looked out towards the garden, where Fred, George, and Ron were.  Turning back to the two girls, he said, “C’mon.  Le’s go see ‘ow those three are doin’.”  He grabbed his shirt and they headed forward.

/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/*/

“Duck!”

Harry ducked as George let a gnome fly over his head.  It landed over the hedge and got back up, waving its fist at George.  Ginny and Niamh applauded from their spot near the door.

Suddenly a gnome appeared near Harry’s feet and he snatched it, swinging into around twice before letting it go.

“Whoa!  That must’ve been fifty feet, Harry.”

Harry beamed at Fred then at Ginny and Niamh, who were going into raucous bits of applause.  The boys kept throwing gnomes, Ginny and Niamh applauding in different degrees for each of them.  Harry seemed to get the most applause.

As they were going inside, Fred flung an arm about Harry’s bare shoulders (he still hadn’t put his shirt back on as it was hot outside) and said softly, “I think Ginny and Niamh are crushing you.”

Harry blinked then realized what he was saying.

“Wha’?  Na…”

“Yeah.  Why do you think they gave you the most applause?”

“Ni, ‘cause she’s me frien’.  Gin…”

“Ah, can’t think of a reason for that one, can you?”

“Shut up.”

“Heheheh.”

Harry scowled at him and disengaged himself from the older boy.  As he walked into the Burrow, he looked back at Niamh and Ginny.  The two of them had found one last gnome and Niamh was spinning it.  She let it go and it sailed in a high arch before landing directly on top of one of the other gnome’s.  Niamh screamed, “Just where I wanted it to land!” and began to jump up and down, hugging Ginny, who was laughing.  Ron was staring at them in awe.  Harry looked from one to the other then began to laugh at them.