(a Harry Potter fanfiction by Caitlyn)

The distribution of this story is for personal use only. Any other form of distribution is prohibited without the consent of the author.

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The Prologue

Harry reread the letter in his hand for the fifth time, as he sat by his favorite oak tree. He stuffed it back into the envelope and let it flutter to the grass. He couldn't remotely guess why Dudley Dursley had written him a letter. He hadn't set a foot in the Muggle world since he finished his schooling, and that seemed ages ago.

For the past eight years he and Dumbledore had worked tirelessly against Voldemort. At long last Voldemort had been over-powered by the two. Harry had to hand it to Voldemort, eight years was a very long time to be able to put up a considerable fight. It was all over now though, and Harry was ready to be rid of all memories of the horrible war.

Harry had deliberately avoided becoming involved in a relationship with anyone. He knew he could never live with himself if he allowed another person he loved to be murdered by Voldemort. If he could help it, history was not going to repeat itself.

Harry didn't want to admit it to himself, but he had been more than lonely during the war. He was ready to find someone to fall in love with and start a family. But even if he didn't find the girl of his dreams, he was still looking forward to spending more time with the Weasley's.

Harry hadn't seen much change in Ron or Hermione, they were still bickering...like a married couple. The only difference being, that they were actually a married couple. Ron had not become an Auror along with Harry but had taken a job at the Ministry of Magic. Hermione, on the other hand, couldn't seem to leave school, she had become a Professor at Hogwarts under her maiden name, teaching Arithmancy. She was also in line to be the next Headmistress of Hogwarts, though she refused to admit it.

Harry gazed up at the sky contentedly, realizing that things were finally going to settle down a bit. He glanced sideways at the letter lying in the grass next to him, and the peaceful feeling dissolved.

What did Dudley want from him?

He stood up, brushed the grass of his robes and took out his wand.

There was only one way to find out.

Chapter One-Back to Privet Drive

The moment Harry registered the familiar sights and smells of Privet Drive a surge of resentment welled up in his chest. He took a deep breath and looked around the living room, feeling like a foreigner.

Harry stepped toward the mantle. Shoving aside a horrid-looking vase, his gaze fell across a picture of Dudley in a white tuxedo, grinning, with one of his flabby arms around his bony bride. Harry couldn't see her face; a veil covered it. Who took pictures with her wedding veil on? Harry thought a moment and grinned broadly when he came to the conclusion that the person wasn't really that attractive or was too embarrassed to see herself in photos actually marrying Dudley.

Harry remembered receiving the invitation in the mail around his twentieth birthday. Dudley hadn't been using any level of tact when he had sent Harry a wedding announcement; he was obviously fishing for wedding presents. (Harry had thoughtfully sent him a box of candies as a present. Even though he hadn't laced the candies with anything, Harry happily thought of how much Dudley would worry about being cursed.) Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon had given the couple the Privet Drive house as a wedding present. They were retired, living in a beach home in Majorca.

Harry turned at the creak of the stairs and silently watched his cousin meander towards the kitchen. Dudley didn't notice him until he was just steps from the pantry. He forgot to stop moving, at the sight of Harry, and the pantry door shuddered terribly as he ran into it.

"You could ring the doorbell like a NORMAL person!" Dudley huffed, winded from his walk and the surprise of seeing Harry.

Harry studied his cousin with interest. Twenty-five apparently wasn't a good age for Dudley. He looked almost in his mid-thirties. Not surprisingly, he looked just like Uncle Vernon...minus the moustache- probably still couldn't grow a full one. Of course, Uncle Vernon only had a double chin. Dudley's was quadruple.

Harry raised an eyebrow, "Hello to you too."

Dudley pointed to Harry's wand, still in hand, "Put that ridiculous thing away!"

"Pardon?" said Harry calmly, "I was under the assumption that I was an invited guest in your home."

"Right," grumbled Dudley, "None of that wizard rubbish--" Dudley then struggled to form the word, "Please."

Harry sat down in an armchair without being offered a seat and waited for Dudley to tell him why he was here. Dudley clomped over to the sagging couch and plopped himself into it, setting off the orchestra of the couch springs in horrible popping and screeching noise.

There was a long silence, in which the cousins sized each other up, seeing exactly what had changed in the eight-year absence. "GARDENIA!!!!" bellowed Dudley, "He's here!"

Harry tried to conceal his smile. Dudley had married someone named Gardenia? He supposed the Dursley men had a thing for women with horrible flower names. Not that all flower names were bad. His mother's name, Lily, was lovely but… Gardenia? Petunia? Who was next- Daffodil or Marigold? Harry was willing to bet that she looked exactly like Aunt Petunia. He sat back ready to be amused by this person who ACTUALLY married Dudley.

He wasn't disappointed; Gardenia Dursley could only be described as entertaining to look at.

She minced into the room in her neon-blue high heels, tight yellow Capri pants, which looked as if they were painted on her, a neon green tube top and an enormous frizz of teased blond hair. Bright pink blush was streaked on her bony cheeks and the many layers of makeup were visible over her bright-orange fake tan. Gardenia peered at Harry almost face to face. Harry leaned back, trying to avoid the smell of cigarette smoke and hairspray.

"That's your cousin, Duddy-doll?" she asked in a voice that sounded like nails on a chalkboard. "Lucky for me, I married the handsome man of the family." She giggled and perched herself on Dudley's knee, caressing one of his chins.

"Lucky you?" muttered Harry to himself.

Gardenia popped her gum and batted her goopy, blue mascara slathered eyelashes, "Hasn't got much fashion sense, has he?"

Harry glanced quickly from the yellow capri pants to his emerald green robes.

Dudley snorted with laughter, "No, my pet-ums, he hasn't."

Harry gave Dudley a winning smile. "You know what, Dudley? " he said in an overly nice voice. "I'm thinking that your fireplace over there is looking…really shall we say... dull? What do you say I just blow it up, for old times' sake?" he said, picking up his wand out of his lap.

Dudley looked panicked and his watery blue eyes bulged, making him look exceptionally like Uncle Vernon.

"Now, uh, no need to do any of that ma- stuff," he sputtered, clutching the couch arm rather forcefully.

"Let's get to the point," said Harry coolly waving his wand.

The coffee table slid across the floor stopping abruptly in front of his chair. Harry plunked his boots along the top of it without bothering to see if there was any mud on them.

Dudley attempted to clear his throat but a feeble noise came from him. Harry was pleased. It was enjoyable to make him squirm after all those years of Harry-hunting.

"Gardenia and I have a little girl," began Dudley, still attempting to regain his composure.

Harry glanced at Gardenia, who was twirling a strand of hair around her finger looking oblivious to everything. Harry was sure the strand would break at any second, from all the dye.

Dudley mopped his forehead with his sleeve. "Well, um, what the problem is, is that she isn't a normal child."

"Neither were you Dudley, get to the point. I'm not here to offer psychological analysis," said Harry.

"She's one of your kind," Dudley spat sharply, "We can't have her living under our roof."

"How on earth would you know that?" said Harry sitting up, surprised.

"Mummy and Dad told me she has all the signs." said Dudley firmly, obviously convinced.

"Oh, there's a reliable source," scoffed Harry, "Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon know nothing about anything of that nature, nor will they ever care to know."

Gardenia spoke up again, looking very confused, "Well, what else could the little brat be?"

Harry couldn't believe his ears.

Actually, he could- they were Dursleys after all...

He glared at them. "You're willing to take a shot in the dark and guess that she is a witch? This is your child!" Harry shouted, becoming more infuriated by the moment.

Dudley paused and continued on as if Harry hadn't said anything, "She's your kind and we can't handle the little monster anymore," he said as if he was merely chatting about the weather.

Gardenia continued, "Petunia and Vernon won't even let us come visit with her and Duddy-kins absolutely needs to see his Mummy."

"Pardon me while I savor this moment of irony," said Harry flatly, "The impossible has happened to you. Your own child is something you were taught to despise. You two idiots are responsible for this child, and instead of dealing with your problems, you want to pass the kid off to me and forget she ever existed."

"Right!" said Dudley, pleased that Harry was catching on.

"You bloody scum…" said Harry, gritting his teeth and clutching his wand.

Gardenia's gum popped loudly, "We have our other child to think of now! Dudley Jr. could possibly be hurt in one of her jealous rages- the little wench!"

Gardenia smirked at Harry, and then pranced out of the room again.

"She wouldn't be jealous or have rages if you two knew how to raise a child!" replied Harry hotly.

Dudley squirmed uncomfortably and the couch gave many creaks of protest, "You don't understand how impossible she is! If you don't take her, we're going to put her in an orphanage. Dad has it all worked out."

"Oh, but I do understand how she feels," replied Harry, "I had to be treated like the black sheep for eleven years and I know how your family is Dudley, don't act like it is her fault!"

Gardenia returned to the room after a moment and displayed a rather porky looking baby swaddled head to toe in a bunny outfit. "This is Dudley Jr.," she said, coddling the child, which belched loudly.

Harry raised an eyebrow, he had seen cuter Christmas turkeys. "That's great, where's the little girl?"

"At Mrs. Figg's," replied Dudley, "She takes care of her all day, so we don't have to see her until bedtime."

"Oh really?" Harry said in a sarcastic tone, "Does she sleep in the cupboard, too?"

Dudley frowned and scratched his head, "Come on Harry, what kind of parents do you think we are?" he said crossly.

Gardenia nodded, "Only sometimes, when we think the little rat is going to hurt our baby puddin'..."

Dudley elbowed her in the ribs to shut up.

Harry stood up and raised his wand. Dudley cowered into the back of the couch and Gardenia gave a loud squeak as she clopped out of the room very quickly with the baby.

Harry took a deep breath, and lowered his wand. He wasn't going to let them make him do anything rash.

"I have to think about all this," said Harry harshly, and he watched his cousin flinch at the sound of his voice, "If anything happens to that little girl before I make up my mind... I will personally see to it that your entire house is blown up," he said with a flicking gesture of his wand.

Dudley trembled again, "You're a nutter. I always knew it," he braved saying.

With one last disgusted look at Dudley, Harry disapparated.

Chapter 2-Hogwarts

The only problem with visiting Hogwarts was the lengthy walk from the designated Apparition point. Harry made his way along the trail and admired the castle from a distance. It had been so long since he had been back to the school.

He didn't know how Dumbledore had managed to do it all; fight Voldemort, and remain Headmaster. Of course, Dumbledore's sense of humor, in the most serious of times, probably helped them both more than they ever knew. Harry smiled wryly to himself, as he remembered some of the secret meeting spots Dumbledore had dropped on him, over the period of the long war. Apparating to an ice glacier in mere summer robes had really seemed to be rather unfunny after awhile, as was Apparating in the middle of a rainforest with his extremely warm winter cloak.

Harry was always a good sport about it. There seemed to be some sort of quiet consensus between the two; Dumbledore was teasing Harry. It wasn't as if neither of them could do with a smile. A brief glimmer of amusement during those horrific days was not taken for granted.

He had been so immersed in his thoughts that he startled himself to realized he was standing before the gigantic oak door. Harry looked up; amazing. He felt eleven again. He knocked loudly three times and the door creaked open to reveal Professor McGonagall. Harry smiled warmly and shifted uncomfortably on his spot.

The Transfiguration professor hadn't changed a bit, except for a bit of gray which streaked her impeccable bun. She regarded him silently for a moment and finally spoke.

"Eight years, Mr. Potter. Now you decide to bless us with your appearance on the castle doorstep?" she asked primly.

Harry continued to grin at her. What a greeting. Some people never changed.

She smiled back, and much to Harry's surprise, hugged him.

Harry laughed and returned her embrace. "Hello, Professor!"

"Welcome back! It's nice to see you again, Potter!" she said opening the door wider, gesturing for him to come inside.

Harry took off his hat so he could get a better look at the entrance hall. Everything, much to his relief, looked the same. Hogwarts was timeless. He found it comforting that at least one thing hadn't been changed through past few years.

Professor McGonagall spoke to him kindly as they walked down one of the corridors.

"Really, Potter, you've amazed us all over the years. The stories the Headmaster has told us…. You're a role model for so many students here."

Harry cleared his throat, embarrassed. "Thank you."

Two boys were immersed in a Quidditch magazine as they walked down the corridor, presumably heading down for lunch. They halted in their tracks when they saw Professor McGonagall. Harry saw the Gryffindor crests on their robes. He smiled, reminiscing to himself.

"Just WHERE are you going?" said Professor McGonagall, "Wandering the halls during lunch?"

"Going to lunch, Professor," gulped one of the boys, shrinking under her gaze.

The other boy glanced in Harry's direction, "Blimey!" he said softly, completely forgetting that he was about to be interrogated.

"What have I told you about…, " Professor McGonagall was saying, but now neither of the boys seemed to notice that she was still there.

"Are you? Him? The real him?" asked the first boy.

"Mr. Zahn! Of all the ways to behave in front of a guest!" said McGonagall shrilly.

"Harry Potter," said Harry shaking their hands. The first boy dropped his Quidditch magazine and stared, open-mouthed.

"To LUNCH!" insisted Professor McGonagall.

"Yes, Professor," they said, turning to go, while still staring at Harry. They nearly walked into each other.

"Your magazine," said Harry, picking it up.

"Thanks," said the boys in unison.

They turned to hurry to the Great Hall, but the boy she called Mr. Zahn stopped dead in his tracks.

"Mr. Potter," he said timidly, walking up to Harry again, "Could you autograph it? I know you didn't play Quidditch after Hogwarts… but …you were fantastic when you were here. I'm a beater, ya know…We won the cup last year…" he babbled, turning bright red.

Harry pulled a quill out of his cloak and signed the magazine.

"Thanks!" said the boy breathlessly, and he and his friend ran off down the corridor, delighted.

Professor McGonagall sniffed disapprovingly as they scampered away, "Manners. I suppose you are treated in such a fashion everywhere."

Harry shrugged and smiled at her as they continued to walk down the corridor. He talked with her politely about what he had been up to recently.

CRRAAAAAASH!!!!!!!!

Harry nearly jumped out of his skin. He glanced around quickly. Where on earth had that come from?!

Professor McGonagall had barely flinched, but sighed, "I wonder what it was this time. Peeves is STILL given free run of the castle."

A look of realization spread across Harry's face. Peeves, of course. He had nearly forgotten about how unpredictable the school could be.

Sure enough, Peeves flew around the corner cackling with
laughter. He stopped midair when he spotted Harry. An evil grin cracked across
his face and he broke out into song.

"Ooooooooh, Potter you rotter! Look what you have doooone!"

He stuck out his tongue and zoomed off singing the rest of the ditty.

The Professor raised an eyebrow, "He has an amazing memory for a Poltergeist."

Filch came thundering around the corner in hot pursuit. A jingling noise told Harry that Mrs. Norris wasn't far behind.

"PEEVES!" he screamed.

When Filch saw Harry and Professor McGonagall he stopped his chase and took off his hat in what looked like an attempt at a polite greeting.

"Afte'noon Professor, Mr. Potter," he said with a quick and
distracted hello. He then glanced behind him and bolted to the staircase. "Come my sweet!" he screamed to Mrs. Norris, "We'll get that Poltergeist this time! And it'll be sooo long Peeves!" Filch cackled loudly, sounding remarkably like Peeves.

"Can cats live that long?" said Harry slowly.

"Unfortu-Ahem- well, in Mrs. Norris' case, it certainly seems that way. Mr. Filch has also remained quite agile himself…as you can see…."

They had stopped in front of a doorway and a loud argument could be heard.

"Ah, here you are Mr. Potter, this is Professor Weasley-Granger's office." said Professor McGonagall, "It was wonderful seeing you again."

They heard a shout that sounded like Ron's and she winced and began walking off.

Harry knocked tentatively. He heard Hermione's voice. "Get the door, will you
Ron?"

To Harry's amusement Ron could be heard answering back. "Get your own door,
dear, it's your office!"

"Excuse me!"

"Why should I get YOUR door after you insulted me…see if I ever come to lunch again!"

"I wasn't INSULTING YOU. I was reminding you to pay the Prophet Owl this afternoon for our subscription."

"As if I wasn't smart enough to handle it myself."

"You weren't LAST month."

Harry knocked a little louder.

"GET your door Professor Hermione!" retorted Ron.

"Ron, you are impossible!"

"I try."

"Ron! Answer the door!"

"I am occupied at the moment."

"You are not!"

"Neither are you."

Harry laughed silently to himself. The door flung open. It was Percy Weasley. He
looked quite frazzled from the argument.

"Harry!" he said, overjoyed to see someone not yelling.

"Hello, Percy!" said Harry shaking his hand.

"Harry!" Ron and Hermione said at the same time. Harry hugged them both.
"It's great to see you!" said Ron, leading Harry inside of the office.

"Oh, do sit down and visit with us!" said Hermione.

Harry glanced around her office. Not surprisingly, it was very organized, bookshelves lining every wall. Ron and Percy were sitting across from Hermione in front of her desk and Percy was bouncing a baby on his knee. Harry sat down and admired the adorable baby, much cuter than Dudley Jr.

"Which one is that again?" he asked Percy, ashamed at his ignorance of not knowing the exact ages of Percy's children, due to his long absence.

"My son," said Percy proudly. "Henri Alexander Napoleon Ferdinand Percival Weasley the second."

It took awhile for Harry to realize that was the child's real name.

Ron added, "We call him Henri, because Percy insists on tacking
every title imaginable on the poor little chap."

Percy looked wounded, "When you have children Ron, you may call them
whatever you like," he said haughtily.

"I'm surprised you haven't run out of names yet, as many kids you and Penelope
have!" said Ron.

"I have eight well-behaved children," said Percy with a glare.

"I hope it doesn't get out about what he does with the ill-behaved ones," whispered Ron with a grin.

"They are well behaved," Hermione pointed out, ignoring Ron.

Harry smiled at them all. People never changed it seemed. He decided to
put Ron on the spot. "Why don't you and Hermione have children?" he
questioned.

Hermione answered him, "Because, I have my career to think about right now,"
she explained. "Besides, I have it all worked out in my head when would be the
optimum time to start a family."

Ron rolled his eyes, "She even has expense charts made up for this. Believe me,
Harry, the day we do something spontaneous, I'm going to have a heart attack."

"I am prepared for everything, Ronald Weasley!" said Hermione.

"Except for anything unpredictable!"

"That is stupid. No one can prepare for that."

"You've tried."

"That's impossible."

"I thought I was the impossible one?"

"No, you're impossible to have a logical argument with."

"That's exactly why you DROPPED Divination," said Ron smugly.

"You're actually proud of your marks in Divination?" said Hermione, looking quite disgusted.

"I handled Divination quite well... I just chose not to exert my knowledge to its full potential."

"What was your full potential again? I think it was somewhere along the lines of writing fictitious predictions of your death for homework."

"That wasn't potential my dear... that was originality. Harry and I got straight A's in that class for our 'fictitious' works."

At the very mention of Harry's name the two suddenly realized that Harry, Percy, and Baby Henri were staring at them, all three being entertained by the argument.

Harry knew they didn't mean it. The bickering had gone on for years. It wasn't
hard to see the adoration in their eyes.

He reached across the desk and handed Dudley's letter to Hermione. "Read this,"
he said.

Hermione's eyes grew wide as she read the letter and passed it to Ron who in turn
passed it to Percy.

"What on earth does that moron want to talk to you about?" said Ron.

"I already spoke to him and his wife," said Harry. He quickly told them about the
entire visit to Dudley's home.

"That filthy rat!" said Ron.

"How could he do that to his own child?" exclaimed Hermione.

"Obviously, not cut out to be a responsible parent," said Percy.

Harry nodded, "I have to make a huge decision here. Do I adopt this child and
raise her with me? Or should I force Dudley and Gardenia to raise their own child
and accept responsibility?"

Hermione was scribbling on parchment madly. "Okay, let's look at this
in a logical fashion. I've just made a list of pros and cons."

Ron sighed, "Hermione! Would you cut it out?"

"Cut what out?"

"Never mind!" interrupted Harry, making sure this didn't turn into another legendary Weasley vs. Weasley debate. This could actually help. "Okay here's a big con, I'm not married and I know absolutely nothing about raising kids."

Percy nodded, understanding his point. "Well, that may be true Harry but many people these days are taking care of children by themselves. You know
more than you think about raising kids and a five-year-old isn't too much of a shock."

Ron smiled. "Unless she is like Fred or George."

Hermione wrote some more things down. "Actually, Harry, according to these
facts, you do have an optimum environment for raising a child. You have a
consistent and large income, lots of free time…now, a home, and not to mention
plenty of personality aspects that make a good parent." She displayed her arithmetic calculations in the margin of the page and a short list of a few personality traits she thought Harry had.

Harry thought about this for a moment, "The only downfall with the free time is
that, as an Auror, I really don't know when I'll have to leave and go to work right
away."

"But," interrupted Ron, "You have friends who would be happy to watch the kid
at a moment's notice. Hermione and I aren't far away, and anyone from my family
would do anything for you."

Hermione smiled, "That's right! We'll back you up whatever you decide."

Harry looked down at his hands. His head was spinning. Then the thought hit him.

"When I was little I wanted nothing more than for some long lost relative to come save me from the Dursleys," he said quietly.

"Oh Harry," said Hermione.

"And someone did," said Harry standing up, "It's my turn… to do the same for her."

Ron grinned, "You're going to do it?"

"I do hope you will come to dinner," said Harry striding to the door, and hurrying out, "I will be in touch about the time…."

Hermione, Percy, and Ron stared at the door after him.

"Dinner?" said Ron.

~*~

A few hours later, Harry stood in the middle of the Privet Drive living room again. As an afterthought, he raised his wand to make the doorbell chime by magic. It was very comical to see his cousin bumble to the door and slam it shut when he discovered no one was on the porch. When he walked into the living room, Dudley squeaked loudly at the sight of Harry.

"I rang the doorbell this time," said Harry truthfully, "Like a normal person."

Dudley said nothing but stood glaring at him.

"I've decided to adopt your daughter. I won't allow any child to go through what I did."

Dudley's face brightened, "You're taking her?"

"That's what I just said," said Harry.

"Good, her bags are all packed. Wait on the front porch." Dudley said tramping out
of the room in a hurry.

Harry sat on the bench on the front porch and glanced at his watch. The door
opened and Dudley chucked a trunk onto the porch. The door slammed closed
again and Harry sighed. What an idiot.

The door opened again, and Dudley's arm was seen pushing a little girl out
before the door slammed shut.

The little girl looked nothing like a Dursley. She was a tiny little thing and had
long brown hair in two pigtails, a pair of green eyes and a concerned little face.
She looked like a frightened sparrow.

"Hi," said Harry warmly, bending to her level. "I'm Harry, you're going to come live with me now."

The little girl gave him a disdainful look. "I'm Chloe, and I don't like you."

Harry's jaw almost dropped. Well, he thought, this is starting out well.

"That's okay. I like you," he said simply and took out his wand.

Chapter Three- Coming around to common ground

Harry stared at her, still not believing his ears. After regaining his composure, he shook it off as 'spunk' on her part.

Here was a chance he rarely got. She had never heard of him. They could start from scratch. Actually, from the way things were looking, they were really going to have to start from scratch.

He smiled at her, tapped her trunk twice with his wand, and it disappeared.

"That was my trunk," she said, not looking the least bit amazed, but irritated.

"It's at my house now," said Harry gently.

"I want it back," she insisted.

"You can certainly have it back when we get home," said Harry, knowing that this wouldn't please her.

"I don't like you," she repeated, turning away from him.

Harry had seen her lower lip quiver.

"You think you're a Muggle, and I still like you," said Harry matter-of-factly.

"I am not a Muggle!" she said turning back to him, looking very vicious indeed, for a five-year-old.

"No, you're not a Muggle!" praised Harry. He was actually beginning to enjoy this, and he was glad she had some spirit.

Chloe was becoming annoyed and more interested with Harry also. She was quite curious to see him use magic again, but it was very confusing to have someone be so nice to her. She couldn't decide whether she liked him or not.

"Are you ready to go home?" he asked, extending his hand towards her.

"No," she said, crossing her arms.

"Do you want your trunk?" he asked.

"Yes, right now," she said nodding, very sure of herself.

"Then let's be off, shall we?"

Before she could react, he grabbed her hand and they Apparated away from Privet Drive.

Chloe promptly fell on the grass when they Apparated on Harry's lawn. She gaped at him, utterly speechless, as he helped her to her feet.

"I know you've been through a lot," he began, "I hope you will be very happy here with me. Once you've learned of who you really are."

"I want my trunk."

Harry really thought that she should be commended for her firmness. He was happy to oblige her demand.

"This is my home," he said making a wide gesture in front of them, across the lawns and towards his manor.

"It's odd," she said slowly, taking in the house.

Harry studied his house. He supposed it was rather odd to those used to Muggle homes. His manor was large, with graceful towers and turrets that obviously had to be supported with magic. Despite the chilly weather, curtains of ivy, draped across the manor walls, the beautiful tendrils making their way down pillars and the trellises.

"Would you like to see your room?" he asked.

Chloe opened her mouth, presumably to mention her trunk.

"With your trunk in it," Harry added hastily.

~*~

Chloe looked around the room and then she eyed Harry suspiciously. Then she glanced back into the wonderful room again. This couldn't be hers. Why would he give her this?

Harry well remembered the cupboard under the stairs and so he made arrangements for a nice room to be put together. He studied her concerned little face, hoping for a faint glimmer of approval.

The room still smelled like the fresh, pastel yellow paint. There was a canopy bed with thick down comforters and plump pillows. The enormous window looking out into the gardens of Potter Manor had a wide window seat, with curtains on either side of it and sheer white curtains framing the window could be drawn closed, making the window seat a cozy place to curl up and hide away. In the corner a white bookcase held a few children's books. There was also a toy box with a few toys in it and a bright rug to play on. A small fireplace crackled merrily and cast dancing shadows on its hearth.

"I'm very sorry it's not finished," he apologized, "But I had short notice. In fact, I don't think we could find many toys in my house. I could take you shopping for new toys and clothes tomorrow, if you would like."

"Why do I need new clothes?" she said, eyeing his robes suspiciously.

"Because you'll want to wear some proper robes," he said.

"Like those?" she asked.

"Yes, but prettier than mine. Girls wear much prettier colors."

"No. I don't want those."

"All right," he said nodding.

Chloe couldn't understand it. She never had a say on anything she did at home. This was very odd.

"Dinner will be ready very soon," said Harry, "Do you want me to leave, so you can look around your room?"

She paused, the bookshelf looked very inviting, but she shook her head vigorously.

"I invited my family to dinner to meet you, " he said, testing her reaction, "Well, they aren't really family, but my very close friends. They will be very happy to meet you."

She didn't say anything, but stared up at him. Harry stared back, startled.

She had his mother's eyes.

It was possible, of course, but it was still astonishing. He wondered what Aunt Petunia thought of Chloe's eye color. She had probably had been revolted that Dudley's child had inherited her sister's eyes.

Harry, on the other hand, was delighted.

~*~

Fred and George Weasley were the first to arrive. They enthusiastically clapped Harry on the shoulders and nearly knocked him over in the process.

"Harry! It's great to see you!" said George.

"How's life without seriously-evil wizard hunting, old boy?" questioned George, pumping Harry's arm in greeting.

"Ah, it's quiet. Too quiet, almost," said Harry truthfully.

Chloe was peering behind one of the dining room chairs. She ducked away when George noticed her.

"Hey! That must be the kid you took on! Right?"

Harry nodded, "You can come out Chloe, it's okay."

Chloe didn't budge. "No," she said from under the table.

She sat and watched Harry's boots pace back and forth. She could also hear him murmuring to the red-haired men.

"It's probably too soon for all this. It's a difficult adjustment. Perhaps we should call dinner off."

"Nonsense," said one of the red-haired men, "She'll be fine."

Chloe covered her mouth with her hands, as the dining room door banged open. She watched, amazed, as a pair of enormous boots tramped across the carpet. Chloe looked up at the bottom of the table when she heard the china tinkling with every step the person took.

"Hagrid!" they all said.

" 'Ello all!" boomed Hagrid's merry voice, "Where's the little 'un you've gotten, Harry?"

Horrified, Chloe scooted farther under a chair.

"Under the table," said Harry, as if this was quite normal.

"Playing?" guessed Hagrid, leaning on his pink umbrella.

"Not exactly," said George.

Harry peered under the table, "Chloe, would you like to come out now?"

She was extremely curious about the owner of the enormous boots. She sat for a moment, weighing the decision thoughtfully.

She glanced up at Harry again. He had asked rather nicely.

Curiosity eventually prevailed uncertainty, so moments later she stood uneasily at Harry's side.

"Chloe!" grinned Harry.

"So glad you could join us!" said George, with a sweeping bow.

Giant-man approached her, "I'm Rubeus Hagrid," he said, shaking her tiny hand.

"I'm Chloe. Let go," she said, pulling her hand back, startled.

"My," said Fred sarcastically, "What a delightful child."

Hagrid drew back at once, but he was unscathed. "How old are ya, Chloe?"

"Five," she said, putting on a brave face. She hoped he didn't think that he had scared her.

She jumped again as two more people popped into the room. Without realizing it, she had scurried to Harry's side in her fright.

Harry greeted Lupin and Sirius, and smiled down at Chloe.

She stood absolutely still when she was introduced again. They all seemed friendly enough…. Meanwhile, people were coming into the room left and right. There was plenty to look at now.

"Hello, Harry," said Ron, leaning to the side to look at Chloe.

"Hello," said Hermione, bending to Chloe's level, "I'm Hermione."

Chloe stepped further behind Harry's leg.

Ginny had also arrived. She smiled at Harry and then hugged him.

"Hello," said Harry, pleasantly surprised.

"She's lovely," said Ginny with a smile, and walked off to go speak to Hagrid.

Chloe peeped out a little from Harry's leg, and watched Ginny walk away.

A loud noise by the fireplace caught her attention.

The fire in the fireplace had roared to amazing heights and blazed an emerald green. A man with bright red hair walked out of the flames. He brushed the soot off his purple robes, wiped his glasses, and looked expectantly into the fireplace.

A boy appeared in the flames a few seconds later. He had the same red hair and he couldn't be older than seven. The man brushed the soot off the boy's robes and then took to gazing into the fire again. Then a little girl with a set of long red braids walked out of the fire. She had to be six or so. The boy brushed the soot off of her. Then another child appeared and the girl took on the job of brushing off her robes. Two more boys came out of the fire, then two girls. The children were progressively younger with each one that appeared and they all seemed to be a year apart.

Chloe had counted ten people including the mother who had arrived last, holding a baby. The father cleared his throat.

"Children! Line up, please!" he said, watching them fall in line, oldest to youngest.

"Mortimer?" called Percy.

"Here Father!" said the eldest boy.

"Catherine?"

"Present!" cried the second girl.

"Meghan?"

"Hi, Daddy!"

"Kyle?"

"HERE!" crowed a proud-looking four-year-old. The two eldest children leaned forward to shush him.

"Hunter?"

"Here! Here! Here!" he cried.

"Alexandria and Madeline?"

"Hwere!" yelled two identical twins, who (coincidentally) were both about two years old.

"Penny, love, do you have Henri?"

"Yes," smiled the mother.

Percy nodded and he smiled at his family, "Children, what do we say to Mr. Potter?"

The children glanced at each other and a little murmuring was heard. They apparently remembered what they were supposed to say and held hands facing Harry.

"Thank you very much for inviting us Mr. Potter!" they said, in perfect unison.

Percy looked proudly on and put an arm around Penelope.

"The Von Trapps, everyone!" said George, applauding loudly.

"Go set your gifts for your new friend on the table, please," said Percy, waving toward the table.

Chloe now noticed the pile of gifts on the table. For her?

The children were wearing sky blue robes with their first initial embroidered on the right side of their robes. One by one they deposited their gifts on the table.

Fred walked over to them and began to pace back and forth, frowning at them.

"Uncle Fred!" cried one of the children, knowing Fred would play with them.

"Let me see, let me see…," said Fred, leaning over sharply to look one of them eye to eye.

The children were covering their mouths with their hands, giggling.

"No laughing!" yelled Fred. This actually made them laugh harder.

"You, the one with the red hair, give me a thousand!" said Fred.

The normally obedient children were perplexed. They all had red hair.

Fred tapped his foot, "If that's the way it's going to be, I'll have to eat one of you!"

All the children screamed and scattered in fits of laughter as Fred chased them. He succeeded in catching one of the boys and had thrown him over his shoulder, upside down, and continued chasing after the others.

Chloe was staring, clinging to the side of Harry's robes. Amidst the ruckus, Percy was trying desperately to get Fred to stop, while George and the rest were enjoying the chaos.

"Whom are we missing?" asked Penelope, having to speak up over the din.

"Mr. and Mrs. Weasley are in Egypt with Bill, but Dumbledore said he'd be here," said Harry.

Almost on cue, Albus Dumbledore apparated into the room.

Little Alexandria ran headlong into his legs.

Percy put his face in his hands, "Children! Please!"

Dumbledore chuckled and picked Alexandria up off the floor, looking around at the rest of the children. Fred was now running around with two of the boys by their ankles, and George and Ron had joined him in playing with the children.

"Fun game?" Dumbledore asked her.

Alexandria nodded, smiling brightly.

"Good evening all!" he said, setting Alexandria down. An onslaught of cheery hellos filled the room.

"Glad you could come," said Harry shaking his hand.

"Oh fiddlesticks!" said Dumbledore, as he spotted the table heaped with presents. "I almost forgot!"

Chloe watched entranced, as he drew a circle in front of him with his wand. It appeared to be just glittering sparkle in the air and she could see right through it. He stuck his arm through the circle and his arm disappeared, as if he had stuck it in a pocket of the air. He was now making a great deal of racket as he rummaged around, and Chloe swore she heard a chicken cluck loudly.

"Merlin's beard!" muttered Dumbledore, "What on earth did I do with the thing?"

His voice was muffled because he had stuck his head in the circle. It was a bizarre sight. Several of Percy's children giggled.

"AHA!" came Dumbledore's voice.

His face and pointed wizard's hat appeared again.

"Here we are!" he said brightly, as he tugged a gift-wrapped box out of the circle. The glittering circle disappeared once he pulled the box out of it, and he set the present along with the others on the table.

"Shall we eat now?" asked Harry.

"Oh yes, please!" said one of Percy's children. A quick glance at the embroidered letter on her robes told Harry that it was Catherine.

After much scuffling everyone was seated and staring at Harry, who stood up looking like he was about to give a-

"Speech!" demanded Sirius.

"Ah that's it Harry, give us a speakin' to!" said Hagrid.

Harry smiled at them and ran a hand through his mussed hair.

"Thank you all for coming tonight, it means so much to me," he paused searching for correct words. "I held this dinner to welcome and introduce someone. Someone I think we will all come to love very much."

"Awwwwwww! Thanks Harry!" butted in Fred, "You mean it?"

WHAP!

Percy had swatted at George, "That was from Mum!" he hissed.

"Ahem," said Harry, "This is Chloe. Hopefully she will feel very happy and at home with us soon."

There was a smattering of applause and Fred and George pretended to hand tissues to each other. Chloe wasn't going to admit it yet, but these wizard freaks (like Dad called them) were almost all right. She still didn't want to be a witch, though.

Chloe was hungrier than she thought and the dinner was very good. She steered a green bean around her plate and avoided responding to Hermione's questions by nodding yes to everything. Finally, Hermione had the good grace to stop encouraging her to come out of her shell.

Some time later someone suggested that Chloe should open her gifts. Chloe shook her head no, very firmly. She didn't want them all to stare at her. When she saw the disappointment on everyone's face, she shyly resigned to sitting next to Harry by the fireplace, who handed her a gift.

Percy's children were very confused with the newcomer. Not wanting to open gifts?! That was unheard of!

Ron and Hermione had given Chloe a toy broom. She didn't know what it was for, besides sweeping the floor, and stared at them with a completely blank expression.

She was quickly handed another gift.

"THAT'S MINE!!!!" yelled Hunter with undisguised joy. "I picked it out!"

The gift was some sort of book. "QUIDDITCH!!!!" said the title in flashing colors.

Chloe blinked. Were the people moving in the pictures? She set the book down and decided not to chance another look. Another parcel. It was filled with tiny rockets. The rest of the children fidgeted and squirmed happily at the sight of these.

"Oh, set one off, Uncle George!" begged Kyle.

Chloe watched as George threw one towards the ceiling. A shower of glowing purple stars drifted down like confetti. The children cheered.

Chloe did like that. The faintest trace of a smile showed for a split second.

Then came the next box. Ginny had thoughtfully bought her a set of green robes.

Chloe looked at the robes unhappily. "I'm not a witch!" she said.

The room fell completely silent.

In the silence, Meghan could be heard asking a question.

"Could I be punished for saying that?" she asked Hermione.

"Meghan!" whispered Percy loudly.

Chloe felt guilty when she gazed at all their faces. Tears were threatening to spill over her burning cheeks.

"Open my gift, please," said Dumbledore in the silence.

Chloe didn't want to do anything except go and hide in the cupboard under the stairs. If she was there, she could hide from the whole world, including her parents. Maybe she could hide there forever and be whoever she wanted to be.

"Go on, Chloe. Open Professor Dumbledore's present," coaxed Harry.

She opened the gift and let it sit in front of her, still in the box. She had no clue what it was. It looked like a ball, about the size of a soccer ball. It was a dull light gray color, with a glassy sheen.

"Pick it up my dear, it won't hurt you!" smiled Dumbledore.

Chloe reached for it. The moment she held it in her hands it began to emit a soft golden light and was no longer the ugly gray, but a brilliant shining ball of light.

"That," said Dumbledore, "is a bauble."

"It's pretty," Chloe whispered, in a voice she could barely hear herself.

Dumbledore continued, "Chloe, if you weren't a witch, the bauble would never glow for you. It only works by magic."

Chloe's eyes filled with tears. She dropped the bauble like a hot coal, and ran from the room. Harry put his face in his hands.

Dumbledore didn't seem unsettled by this turn of events.

"These never break," he said, setting the gleaming bauble back into the box, where it promptly turned back to flat gray.

"I'm sorry," Harry told his guests, "She's had to see a lot today."

~*~

After he had told his guests goodbye, Harry took all of Chloe's presents and made his way to her room.

"Chloe?" he called at her door. There was no answer and he let himself in.

Chloe was curled in a miserable little ball underneath all her bed sheets.

"Tough day?" asked Harry sitting next to the lump in the bed.

"I'm n-n-n-n-not a witch!" came the tearful reply.

"Why aren't you a witch?" he asked.

"Because, I don't want to be," she said with a wail.

She surfaced from her blankets and wiped at her face, sopping with tears.

"Your Mum and Dad don't want you if you're a witch," he said to her.

Chloe nodded and more tears plopped onto her dress and streamed down her cheeks onto her hands.

"I-I want to be like Dudley Jr.," she said firmly.

"I'm sorry, but you're not him Chloe, and I feel sorry for him not being like you!"

"Mum and Dad don't hate him!" she said ready to dive under the covers again.

Harry looked at her for a moment, "I don't hate you Chloe."

The sobbing let up for a moment.

"Why not?" she asked. Chloe couldn't help but feel a tad bit annoyed at that statement. "I was bad," she added, sounding halfway proud of it.

Oh yes, thought Harry to himself, that was most definitely 'spunk'.

"So what?" he said aloud. "I don't think you meant any of it," making sure she realized that he had caught her bluff.

"But Mum and Dad say witches are freaks with no friends," she said, trying to start another batch of tears but failing.

Harry grinned at this, "Oh really? Your Mum and Dad hate me too. So that makes me a freak?"

Chloe seemed surprised at this side of the truth.

"Well, n-n-no," she said, still stuttering from her earlier tears.

"I've got lots of friends, even more than the people you met tonight. Are they horrible and mean and awful freaks like your Mum and Dad call us?"

"Noooo," she said slowly, thinking this over.

"So, what is wrong with being with nice people all the time who love you for who you are?"

"If I was normal like Dudley Jr., my Mum and Dad would love me!" she said the tears welling up again.

Harry crossed his arms and shook his head.

"This is hard, Chloe, I am sorry I have to tell you this. Your Mum and Dad wouldn't accept you unconditionally even if you could hide your true self away now and go back to their world. They are selfish Chloe, I know it hurts a lot to think that, but, it's the truth and it has to be told."

She stared at him and thought this over.

"The wisest person I know, once told me something about this," said Harry.

"What is it?" asked Chloe, as she let him wipe her face with a handkerchief.

"The truth is a beautiful and terrible thing, and therefore should be treated with great caution."

Chloe stared at him blankly. Harry smiled at he expression and continued.

"You might be a little young for that quote," He smiled shyly, a bit embarrassed, "I'm a bit new at this whole thing with little kids."

"What does it mean?" she persisted, not to be told she was too young.

"Well, what it means is," Harry paused, "Sometimes the truth needs to be told, even though one must be careful to not hurt anyone with what they know. I said that because I know you really want to be with your parents Chloe, but they aren't going to love you for who you are."

"I don't want to be there, and I don't know if I like it here!"

Harry thought she looked horribly tired.

"What will you miss from there? The cupboard? Or your Dad screaming at you?"

Chloe looked crestfallen at the mention of those things.

"I want you to live with me," said Harry, "You can be yourself and start all over here. I will love you no matter what you turn out to be and you are always welcome here."

He leaned over and hugged her, and she began crying on the front of his robes.

~*~

Later after Chloe had been tucked in her bed, he gave her a kiss on the forehead and was about to leave the room when she said something.

"What is that on your forehead?" she asked, staring at it.

Harry grimaced, "Ah, that's not exactly a great bedtime story," he said calmly, "What if I tell you about when I had to live in your old world?"

Chloe nodded. She had never been told a bedtime story before.

Harry sat by her bed in a chair and told her all about his life before he went to Hogwarts. He had just gotten to the part where all the letters had come streaming into the chimney when he glanced at his watch.

"That's enough for tonight," he said.

Chloe looked disappointed but didn't argue. Her eyelids were getting heavy, and she could barely keep her eyes open.

Harry was about to leave the room when she piped up again.

"Can I," she began.

"Chloe, you've had a long day…."

"Can I have that thing that man gave me?" she finished.

"Dumbledore?" asked Harry, "The bauble?"

Chloe nodded.

Harry smiled. "You should be proud he likes you. He's the greatest wizard in the whole world."

"In the world?" said Chloe in amazement.

"Here," said Harry, handing over the bauble, "Now go to sleep before I give you a sleeping potion!"

"You can do that?" she said, sounding very impressed. "Like Snow White and the apple?"

Harry had to remember the story of Snow White before he answered her question.

"No," he said, "Not poison! It would just make you go to sleep. You'd wake up in the morning."

"I hope," Chloe gave a huge yawn, "That all the apples are okay here. I don't think we should really let the bad witches in the house."

"All the apples are fine," said Harry smoothing her covers.

Harry snapped his fingers and the lights winked out in her room.

"We'll just let in the good witches," she said, even more drowsily.

She held her bauble again and admired the soft golden light in the darkness. Perhaps things were going to be all right here after all. Maybe magic wouldn't be so terrible and scary as she thought. She yawned as the bauble's golden light illuminated her face. It was worth a shot being a witch. Being difficult had worn her out.

Harry sat in his study and closed his book as he sat and thought about Chloe. It looked like a new life for the both of them. They would be just fine.

Chapter Four- Class is in session

**Culture note: In England, Kindergarten is actually called "Nursery School". I'm going call it Nursery School here also. But, keep in mind, Chloe is five years old, and she would be attending Kindergarten…to use the American phrase.

~*~

It had hardly been a week. Barely seven days, and Harry couldn't bring himself to imagine life without Chloe.

Chloe liked her new home very much. Her curiosity regarding her new world had yet to be extinguished and she kept up running stream of questions for Harry. Much to her surprise and delight, he always had time for her and every one of her questions. He was nothing like her Mum and Dad, who had never paid any attention to her. Therefore, Harry became Chloe's favorite person, not to mention hero, in less than a few days.

The only thing she worried about since she came to live with him was what she was to call him. She liked him very much, but she didn't know what he wanted to be called. She couldn't call him Dad, because that was the other person she had lived with, and Harry really didn't act like him. She also didn't think that he liked her Dad very much, and neither did she when it came down to it…so the name "Dad" was quickly vetoed. After much thought, Chloe finally decided on "Uncle Harry"-a sort of in-between title.

This particular morning she had just finished up her bread and jam and perched in the chair closest to his desk. She liked spending mornings in his study while he worked. He never minded if she brought some of her toys in to play with quietly in front of the fire. But today, she didn't want to play. Today she had decided to work, like he did.

Chloe studied Harry's face as he poured over books. Chloe then picked up the book she had randomly selected from his library earlier that morning. It was a nice thick volume with a dark blue leather cover and loopy gold writing on the front. Her feet dangled off the edge of the chair and she admired the shining cover of the book in her lap; which she thought was very pretty. Chloe cleared her throat importantly and cracked open the book.

Harry's quill stopped as he glanced in her direction. He turned back to his work, very amused that Chloe as trying to copy him.

When he glanced back to study the scene in closer detail, it was even funnier. The expression on her face was certainly one of a kind. She was obviously trying to look studious, but it looked quite like a scowl to the unknowing eye. Poor Chloe wasn't doing very well keeping up her studious look because the book kept sliding out of her grasp. Harry didn't recognize the book at first, so he craned his neck for a better look at the title. yuck

"Common Muggle Torture Practices"

Harry grinned and reminded himself that she couldn't read very well yet, she probably picked out the book because of the shiny cover. However it appeared that this five-year old was looking for a bit of revenge aimed at her Muggle parents.

Chloe turned a page and tried to work out a few more words. Mrs. Figg had taught her to read a little, but these words were awfully big. The pictures were interesting though- everyone in the pictures looked horrified at the words in the book. Chloe wondered what they were shocked about. She heard her Uncle Harry laughing at his work; she wondered if that was part of working. Well, if she was going to be like him, she might as well show that she could do work like him too. She turned the page and began giggling, hoping she sounded convincing.

This was too much for Harry, who was now laughing so loudly that he had to turn away gain his composure.

"Chloe," he finally got out, "what on earth could possibly be funny in that book?"

Chloe looked at him as if he were quite daft. "I'm working. Isn't your work funny too?"

Harry laughed and put his quill in his inkwell. "Not nearly as funny as you. I'll take that book if you've finished laughing at it."

"Working," corrected Chloe. "Can you do spells from that book, Uncle Harry?"

"No, I would never do spells from that book. It's a Dark Arts book. I have it so that I know how to reverse the spells in it."

"You can only do them backward?"

"No," Harry smiled, "only bad wizards do those spells."

"You can't?"

"I can. I won't."

"Even on the bad wizards?"

He reached over and took the book from her hands. "Not even on them. Accio!"

Another book flew out of the bookcase and landed with a neat smack onto his desk. He handed it to Chloe.

"These are nice spells?" she asked.

"Yes."

"You do these?"

"Forward and backward."

After awhile, Harry yawned and stretched lazily in his chair. Chloe looked up, long since abandoning her attempts to learn the bigger words in the spell books. She had started a new project and had collected a good many books off his shelves and stacked them up in what looked like the start of a house or a fort.

"Guess what?" he said.

"What?" asked Chloe, stopping her stacking for a moment.

"I got you into school," said Harry.

"Hogwarts?" she said, remembering him talk about his old school.

"No, no, certainly not Hogwarts," he said. Harry got up and stepped carefully around her house.

"A-a-a Muggle school?" she asked cautiously, peering over one of the taller stacks of books.

"Now, Chloe, do you really think I'd make you go to your first school in the Muggle world?" he said with a mock lecturing tone.

Chloe shook her head.

"Wizards and witches learn how to read and write and do math just like Muggle children," he explained. "We just can't live on magic alone. Who'd become a wizard reporter or write spell books if they didn't know how to read or writing?"

"Mrs. Figg taught me lots of things," said Chloe. "She said I was supposed to be in nursery school, but my Mum and Dad didn't want to pay for it, I think. So she taught me."

Harry grimaced slightly at this information. He did his best to keep an even tone as he continued. "I've enrolled you into a private nursery school so you'll have a nice small class, the teacher also happens to be a good friend of mine We don't think you'll have any trouble catching up with the other children, so it's okay that you're starting school a bit late."

Chloe looked excited. "With other children my age? Are we going tomorrow?"

Harry smiled. "If you go put on the new robes we got yesterday, we can go today."

Chloe was back in the study within minutes. Harry adjusted her bright blue robes that had been put on slightly…askew. He set her hat on his desk and awkwardly tried to fix her hair into something that resembled two braids. He quickly gave up and he left her hair down.

"Ready?" he said picking her up.

She nodded excitedly.

~*~

"Wow," said Harry quietly, as he and Chloe Apparated into an empty classroom. "This is nice."

Harry smiled as he gazed around the classroom. Bright beanbag chairs and pillows in primary colors were surrounding them as they stood in the middle of the room on a rug covered with colorful numbers and letters. Rows of easels took up a corner of the room and half a dozen small round tables took up another corner. Next to a teacher's desk there was a large aquarium that had tropical fish chasing each other around enthusiastically. There was a playhouse that took up most of the far side of the classroom and a trunk overflowing with dress up items. Alongside a spotless green chalkboard there were two bookcases practically bursting at the seams with books.

Above their heads, mobiles of planets and stars made soft tinkling noises as they twisted around and around. Harry was very impressed with the ceiling. It looked cut out of the sky, with streaks of dusky pinks, deep blues, and brilliant shades of orange and red.

[E/N: I gave the author a bright shiny pink sticker for the rewrite of the classroom description!]

Chloe looked up at Harry, eyes wide.

"Do you like it?" he asked.

Chloe nodded vigorously. "Where are the other children?"

"They'll come," reassured Harry, "we came early to talk to the teacher."

"I think it looks like an awful lot of fun, Uncle Harry," said Chloe, looking around the room again eagerly. "Do you suppose the teacher would let me look at the books?"

Harry nodded. "Yes, I think it will be an awful lot of fun. I'm sure you'll get lots of chances to look at the books."

"But," she paused for a moment, "you won't be here with me."

"Right," said Harry, "this is half day nursery school. You go from eleven o' clock until three o'clock. That way I get my work done while you play and we can spend mornings and evenings together."

Chloe frowned. Nursery school had obviously lost some of its appeal. "It wouldn't be very hard for me to learn at home," she said slowly. "I could help you work too, Uncle Harry, really I could."

Harry shook his head. "But, don't you want to come here? It's only for a few hours. Besides, the study would get horribly boring after awhile."

Chloe looked around the classroom again. She now looked quite unsure of the situation. "Do you suppose the other children will like me? And what do I do if the teacher is mean?"

"First of all," said Harry picking her up, "I wouldn't leave you here if I thought any of those things would happen. Second of all, I bet the other children will be very excited to meet you."

"What about the teacher?"

"Did you know that I went to school with her? She's one of the nicest people I know," said Harry.

"What does she look like?" asked Chloe. "Does she have a Bauble?"

Harry smiled. "You've met her, but I don't think you remember. She came to dinner the first night you came to live with me."

Chloe looked as though she was trying to remember, but she shook her head at Harry.

Harry smiled a little sheepishly. "Well. Ah. Let's see, she's got red hair and her eyes are b-."

"Blue!" guessed Chloe.

"No, not blue," said Harry. "They're…big brown eyes."

"Oh," said Chloe, "does she smile a lot?"

Harry now realized he was becoming quite flustered with this conversation. "Er. Yes. She has a very nice smile. She has a very pretty laugh as well."

"Does she h-."

The conversation was halted when the bright red door opened with a loud bang. Ginny stumbled in about to drop five teetering boxes, until Harry lifted the top boxes away. Ginny looked surprised at the sudden appearance of Harry's face in front of her own.

"Hello, Harry," she said, setting down the remaining boxes on a nearby table. "Thank you."

Harry smiled at her as he set his boxes down also. "We came a bit early so she could get a little more acquainted."

"How wonderful," said Ginny pleasantly, "I was hoping for another chance to talk with you. I don't think we were acquainted very well at that dinner." She held out her hand towards Chloe. "I'm Ms. Ginny. Do you like my classroom?"

"I like it very much," said Chloe. "Will we be allowed to touch the books?"

"Allowed?" said Ginny. "You're more than allowed. You can look at them whenever you want. Some children even take a few home to borrow a bit."

Harry admired how well Ginny was with children. She was the perfect nursery school teacher: kind and patient with an agreeable disposition.

Chloe liked her teacher from the very first moment. Her Uncle Harry was right. She was nice and had pretty red hair and a bright smile. Chloe peered curiously at one of the boxes, "Why do you have all those ribbons?"

"These? Lots of things. We could decorate with them or use them for arts and crafts, but I haven't really decided yet." Ginny fished through the box. "This one would look very pretty with your robes."

Chloe giggled. "I only wear ribbons with braids andUncle Harry can't braid."

Ginny nodded solemnly, her brown eyes sparkling with amusement. "He's a boy and we'll have to forgive him. I'll braid your hair if you'd like."

Harry turned slightly red. "Thanks, Ginny."

He tried to see what she was doing with Chloe's hair, but he gave up after a second. It couldn't be that complicated, she was doing it rather quickly.

"May I go look at those things over there?" asked Chloe.

"Those are our easels. You can go play with them if you'd like. I'm almost through here," said Ginny tying the bow. "There. Your hair is braided."

"You do have big brown eyes," said Chloe turning to smile happily at Ginny. "Uncle Harry was right." She then skipped off to look at the easels.

Ginny started laughing and glanced at Harry.

Harry was now bright red, and trying to remember when he had last been so embarrassed. "I, um."

"Yes?" asked Ginny.

"I was trying to describe what you looked like and…uh…."

"It's okay," said Ginny, "you have no idea how many times my students have twisted my words around."

Harry wondered if he should tell her that Chloe hadn't twisted his words around at all.

He had always had a bit of a crush on Ginny, probably since the middle of his sixth year. Of course, he had never dared to think anything more of it than a friendship, with the factor of her six older brothers… He knew he wouldn't have done anything about it anyway since he had feared to like someone much less fall in love with them, when Voldemort was alive. Ginny had obviously gotten over Harry ages ago, when she had fallen in love and married. Harry never completely understood her marriage, but she had been very happy….

Had been. Eight years later…things were quite different.

Ginny and Harry sat down at one of the little tables and knees wouldn't quite fit under. Harry shifted uncomfortably; afraid he was about to break the little chair.

"She's adorable," said Ginny.

Harry looked over at Chloe. "I don't know what it is, Gin, but it's been so much fun spending time with her. Sure, some of it has been hard to get used to, but she's so…."

"Full of life?" said Ginny, knowingly.

"Yes," said Harry looking enlightened, "that's exactly it! It's unbelievable how much she learns…and talks…and thinks about things, and she's so young!

"She's five. Of course she's full of life!"

"It seems so odd for me to be so attached to her after only a week."

Ginny gazed at him thoughtfully and then shook her head. " No. Why would it be odd? She's attached to you. Think about how unhappy she'd be without you."

"She's not that attached to me!" said Harry with a laugh.

"You'd be surprised. I see a different child than I saw at that dinner," she said lightly.

Harry looked at the floor, coloring red again. "How have you been doing?"

Ginny paused and a small shadow seemed fall over her face. "Better I think. "If it weren't for this place, I'd be a great deal worse off. The children here always make me so happy."

"As you do to them." said Harry promptly.

"Stop it," laughed Ginny. "I'm not that great of a nursery school teacher."

"What's that award this place got again?" said Harry in a teasing tone.

"The only reason I got that is because I threw everything I had into this place. I had to or I would have gone ma-." Ginny trailed off and fell silent.

"It wasn't your fault," said Harry feeling his chest tighten. "I'm the one to blame. It's my fault."

"My brothers aren't any help," said Ginny, talking on as if she hadn't heard him. "They say I need to move on, get over it, and put the past behind me."

Harry wanted desperately to change the conversation topic. "I don't think you should," he finally got out. "He would've been going through the same thing if it were you. I should've gotten there sooner."

"You were his friend, Harry. He would've chosen himself to die over you."

Harry closed his eyes trying get rid of the sick feeling in his stomach as the memory flooded back. "No one would have died! I could have stopped all of it."

Ginny looked straight into Harry's eyes. " Did you know when we were still in school... he used to always tell me that the Sorting Hat must have made a mistake by putting him in Gryffindor?"

"He could not have been more wrong," said Harry sadly. "He'd give his left arm if he knew it would make someone happy. It was an honor to know him."

"I'm glad you remember him like that," said Ginny softly. "I loved him very much."

They were snapped out of their reverie when Chloe came skipping over with her picture. "Look what I drew!"

"It's very good, Chloe!" said Harry, admiring it from a few angles. He could almost tell what it was...almost.

Ginny took the picture from Harry and held it in her lap. "Hmmm, this looks like the classroom. There's my desk, there's the aquarium, and that looks just like the ceiling."

Harry wondered where she was seeing this in that picture.

Chloe beamed. "That's right!" she said proudly.

"Speaking of the ceiling, Gin," said Harry. "What exactly did you do to it? It looks even better than the Great Hall."

Ginny glanced up. "Oh, no! My ceiling isn't half as good as the Great Hall. It doesn't change with the weather. I just charmed it to look like a sunrise and sunset."

"Why sunrise and sunset?" asked Chloe.

Ginny smiled warmly at her. "Because, I can never decide which is better."

"Sunset." said Harry "It's nice to see everything settle down and start to look forward to the next day."

"Yes, but sunrise means a beginning of the day when everything is fresh and new," countered Ginny.

"Okay," said Harry said, his eyes crinkling at the corners with amusement, "now I know why you have both on the ceiling."

Harry glanced at his watch and fastened the loose catch on his cloak. "I've really got to go now," he said planting a kiss on Chloe's forehead. "I'll be back before you know it."

Chloe stood on her tiptoes and hugged Harry tightly. "You can have my picture, Uncle Harry."

Harry smiled proudly as if he had just been handed the eighth wonder of the world. He folded the picture carefully and put it in his robes. "Thank you, very much."

Chloe waved goodbye until Harry Disapparated. "He'll be back," she said sounding sure of herself as she looked up at Ginny.

Ginny smiled. "Yes, he will. Would you like to help me get ready for the rest of the class?"

"Okay!" said Chloe.

~*~

That evening Harry was overwhelmed about how much Chloe could talk about the four hours she had spent in nursery school. He was enjoying her chatter over dinner, which had all too often been a silent affair for him.

"Annnnd then, you know what?" she said bouncing in her chair.

"What?" he said with a grin.

"Meghan Weasley said I was her BEST friend now!" boasted Chloe.

"Really? You made a best friend?" he said buttering a roll and handing it to her.

"Uh-huh! And Meghan and me played in the dress up box and Ms. Ginny said we could put our nap mats together for quiet time after snack time." said Chloe gleefully.

"Meghan and I," he corrected gently. "Eat your roast, please."

Chloe chewed her roast quickly and continued on at full speed. "Ms. Ginny let me change the day of the week on the calendar and we got to play this game with these musical instruments! I got to play the drum! It was soooo loud, Uncle Harry!" she took a gulp of milk.

"Did you get to learn a new word?" asked Harry.

"Yes!" said Chloe. "I learned how to spell December! D-E-C-E-M-B-ummmm-E-R!!!! December!" she recited. "Ms. Ginny says it'll be December before we know it!"

"That's very good," praised Harry.

"And Ms. Ginny taught us how to write it too!" Chloe made the letters in the air with her finger to illustrate. "She wrote on the board with bright yellow chalk. She tapped it with her wand too and it marched around the board! So Ms. Ginny and my class all marched around the classroom! Ms. Ginny led, and we all shouted the letters. We all know how to spell it, because Ms. Ginny knows everything." Chloe took a deep breath and smiled at Harry.

"Anything else?" asked Harry.

"Yes!" she grinned.

"What?"

"Can I go back tomorrow?" she said bouncing in her seat again.

"Yes." laughed Harry "Now eat your green beans please."

Chloe speared her green beans. "I love nursery school," she said with a happy sigh.

~*~

Harry tucked her in with her stuffed dragon and smoothed the sheets.

Chloe yawned. "I want to hear a bedtime story."

Harry obliged and told her about Hogwarts and had barely begun when she was fast asleep. He snapped his fingers for the lights to dim and crept out of the room.

Later in the evening, he sat in his study and was trying to go through the motions of reading the paper, but his mind kept drifting back to Ginny. The years hadn't been happy for her. He wanted her to be the old Ginny. The Ginny that hadn't lost a husband to Voldemort. The Ginny that was his friend. The Ginny that he could look into the eyes without thinking that it was his fault that she was different.

Guilt settled over him again like a shroud. Harry put his face in his hands. He should've gotten there sooner.

Chapter Five: It's beginning to look a lot like Christmas

Sirius leaned against a lamppost across the lane from the courthouse and glanced at his watch. He straightened up when he saw the courthouse doors open, and people begin streaming out. Sirius watched with mild surprise when Harry stormed down the steps, flanked by a few Aurors, fury etched on his face. This was certainly an unusual sight; Harry rarely lost his temper, especially in public.

A flashbulb exploded in Harry's face.

Sirius blinked. The reporters had come out of nowhere as usual.

"Mr. Potter!" one of them shouted. "What do you think of the verdict?"

"Harry! Harry, look here!"

"Mr. Potter, do you feel that your Aurors presented a good case?"

"Harry! Over here! Tell us what you think of Draco Malfoy!"

"No comment!" said Harry loudly, holding up his hand to shield his eyes from the flashes.

The press didn't seem to want to take that as a valid answer and they seemed to get louder.

"Mr. Potter does not have a comment!" shouted one of the Aurors.

Harry waved the Aurors off and they hesitated before leaving his side.

"Over here!" said Sirius loudly. Harry smiled grimly and tried to push his way across the street. Of course, once the press recognized Sirius…they began to run across with Harry.

"Mr. Black! Are you here to support your Godson?"

"Mr. Black, do these trials remind you of the time of the first You-Know-Who uprising?"

Harry finally made his way over and handed Sirius as small slip of paper and Disapparated.

Sirius glanced down at the words printed on the paper and made a face at the reporters. "Shove off!" he grunted before Disapparating.

They had Apparated to the café that Harry had printed on the paper. The Maitre de bowed to them as they walked through the door.

"Monsouir Potter! You're always so prompt with your reservations!"

"Thank you," said Harry shortly. He then looked slightly guilty for his snappy tone and murmered a short apology. "My apologies, Jaques. I'm a little preoccupied."

"Ah, non, non! Do not apologize, Monsoiur Potter! We shall go to your table now, oui? Outside, perhaps?"

~*~

Harry was fuming over his cup of coffee. "He deserves to go to Azkaban!" said Harry furiously. "I can't believe he got off the hook!"

Sirius raised an eyebrow and nodded at the waiter poured him coffee also. "Harry, not every death-eater is going to pay the consequences. People like the Malfoy family are going to worm their way out of it, especially the ones that can afford the expensive lawyers. It doesn't matter that your Aurors are the best."

"How could have I lost? His alibis were absolute fairy tales!" growled Harry.

"Draco Malfoy will get it in the end, Harry."

"You've got that right, even if I have to finish him off personally." Harry's face was turning very pale and it was making Sirius nervous.

"Calm down. That's not what I meant. Don't let yourself get so worked up."

Harry didn't seem to hear him. "He'll think twice before trying to commit another murder... I'll be watching him like you wouldn't believe."

"Harry, you be careful, Malfoy doesn't exactly like you and he's got some pretty powerful people in his corner too."

"As do I."

Sirius regarded his comment for a second. He had nearly opened his mouth to lecture Harry about acting in anger, but he remembered that Harry was an adult… and didn't need his lectures.

"Let's just not think about the stupid trial, all right? I really just showed up to have a late lunch and talk about how you're coming along with Chloe."

"Well, if you say so." he said huffily. Harry's face suddenly lost its harsh edge, at the mention of Chloe. "She's so bright," said Harry with obvious pride. Sirius was reminded of the look James used to get when he mentioned Harry. "She can already read a little bit, write all of her letters, and she picks up new things so quickly."

"So she's not a difficult child?" said Sirius putting two heaping spoonfuls sugar in his coffee.

"Difficult?" laughed Harry. "No, not on purpose anyway. She's just extremely curious, which makes it a bit difficult on me. She had me stumped the other day, Sirius, absolutely stumped."

Sirius laughed heartily. "I'm glad you took her on. Frankly, you need someone around who can keep you second guessing."

Harry smiled and looked a little embarrassed. "If you say so."

"Is she accepting that she is a witch?" said Sirius sipping his coffee and making a horrible face and spooning a few more heaps of sugar in it.

"Yes and no. She wants to be one but she doesn't realize that she really already is one. It is sort of a hard concept to grasp at first, how do you tell someone that they have something but they can't see or do anything with it?"

"Well, that'll change once she figures out a spell or two." Sirius said wisely. He cautiously took a taste of coffee.

"That'll be interesting," Harry said, as he watched Sirius add yet more sugar. "Would you like some coffee with your sugar?"

Sirius made a smirking face and ignored the comment. "Did you know that they are finally going to have the Christmas Ball again? It's going to be in celebration of a Christmas without Voldemort. I'd say it's been about thirty years since the last one."

"They didn't have one…the first time?" said Harry slowly.

Sirius shook his head. "People were still too scared to really celebrate. Sure there were parties, but not anything organized. It wasn't right to celebrate with a ball…since your parents…."

Harry ran the edge of his spoon around the rim of his coffee mug. "Oh," he said, not lifting his eyes.

"But," said Sirius in an obvious attempt at a brighter tone, "it'll be wonderful to see the Christmas Ball back again."

"A Christmas Ball? Like the Hogwarts Yule Ball?" said Harry, wrinkling his nose.

"I take it you don't want to attend?" said Sirius dryly.

"Not really," said Harry.

"Don't shove this one away just yet, Harry. They're a lot of fun. You can get a sitter for Chloe and go out and have a good time…."

"I think Chloe and I will go traveling or something," said Harry firmly.

"Well, er, you can't exactly do that," mumbled Sirius.

"What?" said Harry, who was beginning to have a faint awareness of what Sirius was going to say next.

"Well, you see, you and Dumbledore are kind of the...." Sirius muttered something incoherent after that.

"Would you mind saying that again?" asked Harry with a sigh.

"The Guests of Honor," said Sirius quickly.

"Uh-uh," said Harry, "I'm NOT going. End of story."

"Dumbledore would be upset if you weren't there," said Sirius lightly.

"I hate these things," grumbled Harry, defeated.

"Ha!" said Sirius happily. "I told Moony I could talk you into it!"

~*~

Chloe ran to Harry when he Apparated into the room and crashed into his legs. Harry looked down and saw he now had two small green handprints on his robes.

"Someone has been painting," he said with a grin.

Chloe had a streak of blue paint on her cheek. "Yes! Art is the last thing we do everyday! I'm not quite done yet."

Ginny smiled. "Go on and finish; I'll talk to your Uncle Harry while you paint."

Chloe took off and galloped back to her painting.

"It's washable," said Ginny when she saw the handprints on Harry. She began scooping up paintbrushes and plunking them into a bowl full of water.

"It's not a problem," said Harry smiling. "I'll just remember my smock."

Ginny laughed and displayed her very colorful, handprint covered, smock as if it were the finest thing she owned.

Harry noted with a private smile that she had a mark of green paint on her forehead.

"We paint every Wednesday and Friday, the other days are clay, drawing, or whatever I feel like getting into."

She dumped the paintbrushes into a bright red bathtub filled with clear, clean water, and with a flick of her wand they began scrubbing each other.

"Goodness, she did get you good, didn't she?" said Ginny, motioning to the handprints.

"I don't mind a little paint, I think the handprints could do these robes some good. It would make for an interesting picture in the paper anyway," he said laughing. "You've got paint on your face too, you know."

"I do?"

"It's really quite attractive. Rather like war paint."

"Harry! Where?"

"On your face."

"I know that!" laughed Ginny, holding up a paintbrush in a threatening manner. "Where?"

"Right…here."

He reached over and ran his finger along the side of her forehead.

"Oh," Ginny murmured, pulling away.

"Yes," said Harry quietly, "I think you've gotten it."

Ginny's cheeks were turning pink and she cleared her throat. "Thanks."

"Am I always late?" Harry asked, looking to change the subject, "There are never any other kids in here when I get here."

"No, I have to send them all five minutes early. They come and go by Floo Powder. The parents just wait for them at home. Most mums and dads don't have a dual Apparating license like you," she said teasingly.

"Most mums and dads aren't good friends with the Minister of Magic either," shrugged Harry. "Perk, I guess…."

"I think Percy would come get Meghan, but he and Penelope have seven other kids to keep track of," she said with a laugh.

"How is she doing in class?" he asked.

"Chloe? Oh goodness, she's wonderful. She and Meghan Weasley are great friends and she plays very nicely with everyone. The other children accepted her right away, she's actually one of those kids that is a natural leader," said Ginny, glancing back at Chloe.

"No problems?" said Harry.

"Of course not," said Ginny.

"She adores you," said Harry. "I get a daily nursery school commentary at supper. She loves this place."

Ginny blushed. "I try to make it a wonderful place to learn."

"Would you like to come for dinner?" Harry blurted. Where had that come from? "We can certainly add another place, it'd be no trouble. I don't want you to have to go home and eat by yourself. Everyone is always so busy, that I never have as many visitors as I'd like." Harry shut his mouth before he rambled on any more.

Ginny's eyes widened. Was this a friendly dinner invitation or something else? She shook herself out of the stupor. Don't be stupid Ginny, she told herself, Harry is just feeling sorry for you. He feels guilty about your husband dying and doesn't want to picture you in an empty house.

"I really can't," said Ginny blushing to deep red.

She had always had this stupid schoolgirl crush on Harry. It was so insane of her to think he liked her more than a friend. Even if he did, she would never let herself become involved. She couldn't betray Neville like that.

Harry watched her twist her wedding band around her finger nervously. "Really, Ginny you can just have dinner and go. We'll even have a quick dinner if you have things to do." He was turning red also. What was he doing? She didn't want to eat with him. He reminded her of Neville.

"I don't want to intrude!"

"Intrude? I hope you never think that! My goodness, Ginny! I thought you would consider me a closer friend then that!"

Great, she thought guiltily. She had offended Harry. She was so stupid for thinking something more of this.

"Okay, I'll come to dinner."

"Good!" said Harry. Inwardly he was convincing himself that he was doing them both some good…they hadn't visited in awhile.

Chloe ran back over. "I'm finished!"

"Wonderful!" He wiped the blue streak on her cheek with his robe sleeve. "Ms. Ginny is going to have supper with us," he told her.

"Yay!" cheered Chloe.

~*~

"Do you have any brooms?" asked Chloe.

"Go fish," said Ginny. Ginny then turned to Harry. "Do you have any wands?"

Harry groaned and handed her a few off his cards. "Do you practice at school or something? I'm losing! Okay, Chloe, Do you have any spell books?" he asked hopefully.

"Go fish!" laughed Chloe.

Harry gave them fake suspicious glances. "I think I'm being played by card sharks."

After being defeated twice in a row by Chloe, Harry was rather relieved when supper was announced.

After they were seated around the dining room table, Harry turned to Chloe.

"Would you like to say the blessing I taught you, Chlo?"

Her eyes lit up and she nodded. Ginny and Harry bowed their heads solemnly. Chloe put her little hands together and bowed her head very seriously and took a deep breath.

"Good food, good meat, good God, let's eat!" Chloe said exuberantly. She lifted her head and beamed at them.

Harry buried his head in his hands and his shoulders shook with silent laughter. Ginny could be heard trying to stifle her laughter in her napkin.

"Chloe," Harry choked, "Not that blessing, the other one," he said trying desperately not to laugh at her sincere efforts at a nice blessing.

"Oh," said Chloe.

"Never mind, that'll do until tomorrow," said Harry.

Dinner was a lovely occasion and Ginny thoroughly enjoyed the company that Chloe and Harry provided. She was glad she had agreed to come.

After dinner Harry said that he and Chloe were going to put up a few Christmas decorations. He invited Ginny to help them, but she nervously refused and stammered something about lesson plans and was gone as quickly as she had come.

Chloe jumped up and down when she walked back into the living room and found a towering Christmas tree. Harry grinned at her.

"You like it?"

Chloe was running around it and looking underneath it. "It's real!" she shouted.

"Wizards don't cut down a tree like Muggles do, it's wasteful," he explained. "We magic a tree from the forest and plant it right into the carpet. See the dirt? After we take the ornaments off of it after Christmas, we just magic it right back. It's easy."

Chloe was excited; she had never seen such a big Christmas tree. The cathedral ceilings in the living room allowed for them to have a towering magnificent tree. Much better than the plastic one that her old house had.

"Watch," said Harry, he brushed his wand against one of the branches and a glittering silver Christmas ornament bubbled out the end.

Chloe reached over and touched it in awe. The glass was paper thin and delicate.

He set his wand in her hand. "Go ahead," he said.

Chloe looked up at him incredulously. "I don't know how to do that!"

He smiled. "Now seems a good of time as any to learn, don't you think? Close your eyes and imagine a Christmas ornament and then touch the wand to the tree."

Chloe scrunched her eyes closed and tapped the tree. She opened her eyes expectantly and her face fell; nothing had happened. She looked sadly back up at Harry.

"Try again," he smiled. "Imagine it coming out of the wand and growing bigger and bigger and then hanging off the tree."

Chloe was concentrating very hard. She pictured the ornament. Then she felt the wand grow warm and a slight tingling sensation in her fingers. She opened her eyes again. There, on the branch was a gold Christmas ornament.

Uncle Harry's eyes were sparkling at her. Chloe put her hand to her mouth in surprise and gazed back at Harry with her huge green eyes.

He lifted her high above his head and laughed. "That's so great Chloe!" "You did your very first magic!"

She learned quickly she was able to put ornaments on the tree without closing her eyes and concentrating so hard after awhile. They decorated the bottom half of the tree full of silver and gold ornaments. The ornaments weren't as boring like Muggle ornaments in just a spherical shape, they were cubes and pyramids and other shapes, more interesting.

Harry was really impressed when Chloe could make the complicated ones like he could. She had no clue how to spell Dodecahedron, but she could certainly make one. When they couldn't reach the top half of the tree Harry put a spell on them so that they could float! Chloe loved that; several times he had to pull her back down next to him.

After the finished the tree they hung garland with silver and gold ribbons from the ceiling. The room looked very festive indeed.

"Now for the best part," said Harry after they stopped to admire their work. He clapped his hands once and soft white lights twinkled in the tree.

"I like the star on top of the tree the best," she said as he picked her up.

"Me too. It's a nice tree."

"I feel sorry for Dudley Jr.," she said.

"Why?" asked Harry, glad to see the transition from jealously to sorrow.

"He doesn't get to make ornaments, or have a big tree--" She yawned and laid her head on his shoulder before she could finish her sentence.

"Tomorrow when you get home from school, the whole manor will be decorated. The House Elves usually do the rest of the house for me. It would take the two of us forever to do the whole house. They are going to put a smaller Christmas tree in your room, would you like that?" he told her.

She nodded almost too drowsy to answer. "I like House Elves," With that said she dozed off on his shoulder.

Harry carried her upstairs and had a time getting her into bed. Gingerly, he managed to get her pajamas on her without waking her up and set her favorite dragon in-between her lax arms.

He then went into his own bedroom and took off the paint "decorated" robes with a smile. He then fished through one of his clothes trunks and found a hunter green sweater and blue jeans. Mrs. Weasley had made this for him two years ago and it was one of his favorites of the numerous "famous" Weasley sweaters. Harry went back downstairs and sat on the couch in the warm glow of the fireplace, and the twinkling Christmas lights. It was a very nice spot to think.

Dobby appeared with a tray. The moment Harry had built his home he offered to pay Dobby to work for him. Dobby had apologized to Dumbledore for leaving Hogwarts, but had politely explained that Harry needed him.

Dobby handed Harry a steaming cup of wassail.

"Hello, Dobby," greeted Harry.

Dobby took off his tea cozy hat and bowed very deeply. "Dobby is thinking you would be liking this to drink."

Harry nodded. "Thank you very much, I did want some wassail as a matter of fact."

Dobby looked proud of himself. "Harry Potter is very good to Dobby, and Dobby is making sure Harry Potter is happy."

"Well, you do an exceptional job," yawned Harry. "Do you like the decorations Chloe and I put up?"

Dobby beamed. "They is very nice! Harry Potter's Chloe seemed to like putting up decorations very much."

"It was fun," smiled Harry.

"Does Harry Potter need anything else?"

"I don't think so."

Dobby beamed and left the room with a sincere and dramatic bow.

Harry went back to his wassail and gazed at the tree again. He had almost dozed off when he heard a whisper of a cloak and he turned sharply around.

Ginny stood in the doorway, obviously impressed at the sight of the Christmas tree. She looked shocked as Harry interrupted her trance and turned around to face her. Green eyes met brown and there was a long silence.

"I-I left a few school things and I need them to finish my lesson plans. I'll just show myself out!" she said finally speaking up.

Harry shrugged and ran a hand through his tousled hair. "I don't mind, would you like some wassail? It's freezing out, I think it's going to snow."

He gazed at her in her cloak, it was the most bizarre thing, and she was staring at him like he was a complete stranger. "Are you all right?" he asked. "You looked quite...unlike yourself, just for a moment."

Ginny was thinking the same thing. He hadn't looked like himself either. Was she going mad? He had turned to look at her and something odd had happened. She had been thinking how handsome he looked facing the tree.

Then when he had turned she felt guilty. How could she do this? How could she shun Neville's memory? This was stupid. It was a stupid schoolgirl crush. Who wouldn't admire the heroic, brilliant, and kind Harry Potter? He was a...oh, she didn't know what he was! She twisted her wedding ring and shook herself out of her idiocy. She fumbled for her papers. "No, no, thank you, thank you for the kind offer, I should really be going," she said jerkily.

"Perhaps you should get some rest," he said looking concerned again. "Are you upset about anything?"

"Oh, upset?" she practically squeaked. "Oh-no, I'm just busy with the school."

"If you need to talk, come over anytime," he said looking at her, trying to figure out what on earth had came over her. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow when I pick up Chloe," he added.

"Yes, tomorrow," she said automatically. "Goodnight!"

"Good-" Harry began, but she was already gone.

Harry drained his wassail glass and shook his head. What was going on?

Continued in Chapter Six...