Finding Father

Notes: This is a story I came up with while listening to "Return to Innocence" by Enigma.
Time-frame: This takes place eight years after Hogwarts, not HBP-compliant, I think.
Pairings: Ron/Luna, past Harry/Hermione.
Warning: Character death at the beginning (first two chapters). :( This is from John's point of view (who he is, you'll find out right away).

Chapter One - The Crash

I didn't enjoy our Muggle trips too much. But my grandparents always insisted that I know of the Muggle culture. Mother wouldn't deny them anything, after all, they let us live with them. Not that they wouldn't, but Mother was a single mother. And they were slightly old fashioned, so they didn't approve of me not having a father. But I had one. Father was simply missing. I knew he'd come one day, Mother always said so.

It all went wrong during Christmas. We were going back home, after spending all day at Aunt Geraldine's, my grandmother's sister. I liked her big house and her small dog, Robbie. There were also Aunt Geraldine's grandchildren, but most were babies. They annoyed me to no end.

Grandpa was driving and it was dark outside. I remember he and grandmother were talking in the front, while Mother was looking out the window, sitting next to me in the back of the car. I was feeling rather tired, having had to put up with crying babies all day long.

"He's out there, all alone," I heard Mother say softly. When I looked up into her eyes, I could tell she was thinking of Father. She always did during Christmas and New Year holidays. However, she was worse in Halloween.

It was rather unsettling knowing that my birthday was also a day that my mother didn't like, for other reasons. She would smile all day, but once in her room, she would cry herself to sleep. I knew, because our rooms were next to each other, and I could sometimes hear her sobs.

Mother was rather proud and would not let me comfort her those days, because she thought my birthday should be a happy day. I knew it was because of all of the things that had happened to her and her two friends during her years at Hogwarts.

"Mother, do you think Santa will bring Father home this year?" I asked. I believed in Santa. Faithfully, actually. And Mother, despite being logical, never told me he didn't exist. At that moment, I could tell I hit a soft spot, for her eyes watered and she sniffed.

"I don't know, John," she said softly, wiping at her eyes. "I hope Santa does, though."

There was no way I could hold it against Father for making her sad. She would never allow me. I made the mistake of bad-mouthing him previously that year, on my birthday. She told me the truth then. Father had isolated himself only a few weeks after Mother became pregnant. He didn't know, and neither did she, back then. And she simply left the wizarding world to raise me. So I couldn't really blame one, I had to blame both, according to her.

Mother took it upon herself to teach me about Father after that. Both from books and from her experiences. She had a couple of albums with moving pictures. Most were of her with Father and Uncle. She said those two always drove her crazy, in a good way. Uncle was very funny, while Father was caring but incredibly stubborn and impulsive.

Suddenly, Grandpa cursed. There was a bright light coming from outside, from the front. He turned the wheel as fast as he could and the car was out of control. I really can't remember much, except that Mother threw her arms around me and whispered something I could not hear above all the yelling. There was a loud sound, like an explosion, like metal bending and glasses breaking.

And then I knew no more.

WARNING: GORE at the end of this chapter. I tried keeping it at a minimum, as it's not the focus of the story. Believe me, I wouldn't put it if it wasn't necessary!
Notes: By the way, for those who wonder, John is seven years old. :)

Chapter Two - The Blood

"We're really not sure what happened..."

"How could a little child survive such terrible accident unscratched!"

"Poor, poor boy..."

The voices faded in and out. I didn't know who they were or where was I. I felt tired and sleepy. I could hear sirens from a Muggle ambulance, more people talking, but further away. The crunching of glasses against the pavement, as if someone was stepping over them. Metal groaning and a sound that reminded me of an electric chain-saw.

Suddenly, everything changed. Some people yelled out in confusion as loud cracks startled them. "In here," called a voice. "Run an Inquiro spell on him, Auror Longbottom," the female voice ordered.

A weird sensation made me shudder. "He is under a Sedative Charm, a highly advanced Shield Charm and presents no injury," a soft male voice reported. "He also seems to be awake," he added.

I groaned and opened my eyes. I seemed to be in the back of an ambulance, with two people staring at me. A tall, chubby man in formal robes and a pink haired woman in similar garments. "Where am I? Where's Mother?"

The man opened his mouth to say something, but someone called out from somewhere near the ambulance. I couldn't see much, only the darkness of the night and the lights from the street. "Auror Longbottom!" a man called out. "You better come and see this!"

"I'll be right back," the man, Longbottom, said.

The woman looked at me curiously, and I also felt very curious about her. I think I remembered Mother telling me about a witch with colorful hair. We both gasped, though I didn't know why she had done so. "Tonks?"

"Who are you?" she asked awkwardly. She looked rather confused, the poor woman.

"My name is John, and I think Mother talked about you a lot. Are you Tonks?" I asked, finding a logical and straight way to face this new challenge.

She just gaped at me, looking straight into my eyes. And then it hit me. My eyes! I had Father's eyes. Mother always said so. "John, what is your last name?"

"Granger," I answered simply.

Longbottom chose that moment to return. "Auror Tonks," he said in a strained voice. I noticed his eyes were shining with tears. "Auror Tonks," he pressed, when the pink haired woman didn't acknowledge him.

Tonks turned around sharply and followed him. They just got a bit away from the ambulance, and I still could see them. Longbottom said something, he looked very anguished about it. I noticed Tonks brought a hand to her mouth and sobbed. Once, twice. Until she broke down and had to hold on to him so she wouldn't fall.

I didn't understand what was going on, and I was starting to panic. "What is going on? Where's Mother?" I called out to them.

Longbottom managed to leave Tonks near a light post, where she could lean on, and came back to see me. His eyes were red this time and his cheeks were wet with tears. My heart skipped a beat as I finally started putting the pieces together. I wasn't Mother's son for nothing...

Mother had... When the car lost control and we hit something... Mother had used her magic to protect me... And she had died. He knew he didn't need to say it. I had finally figured it out, and it showed by the way my eyes watered and I started sobbing.

Longbottom held me tightly as I cried on his chest. Images of the crash finally came back to me at a frightening speed...

I saw Mother throwing her arms around me. I heard her voice, though I couldn't make out what she was saying. I felt the car hitting something, heard the metal bending and the glasses breaking. My grandmother was yelling, while my grandfather had stopped moving. Something had come through the front window, something hard. It had hurt him and he was unconscious... or dead.

Mother's arms were warm and soft, but she held me tightly. She kept muttering. My grandmother stopped yelling and I saw why. Something else had come through the front window and it had impaled her. Much to my horror, I realized it was in the same path... Mother was muttering, but her voice was strained. I felt something warm and wet around my neck and I shuddered...

It was then that I started screaming. Both in my memories and in Longbottom's arms. I had Mother's blood all over my body. I had Mother's blood all over my body!

Longbottom and Tonks desperately tried to calm me down, but I couldn't hear them. I still could see Mother's vacant eyes in my mind, as I pulled her off of me. Mother's abdomen had been sliced open and her insides were spilling out.

I was screaming even more, and I could tell all the Aurors were at a loss of what to do with me. I looked at my hands, covered in dry blood, but all I could see were Mother's guts... I threw up, startling everyone.

Longbottom quickly pointed his wand at me and whispered, "Sleep."

Once again, the world blacked out on me...

Notes: I really hated doing that to Hermione. And to John. :(

Chapter Three - The Will

When I woke up again, I was in the arms of that chubby Auror. "You have a great timing, John," I heard him say. "This fine person would like you to hear your mother's will." I could see he didn't really want to say it.

"Mister Granger," I heard a gruff voice saying. Longbottom put me down and I looked at who had spoken to me. It was a goblin. I gulped, having never seen one personally before. Mother talked about many magical creatures, so I knew the basics. "Mister Granger, I will read Hermione Granger's will." He didn't wait for my mind to process that.

"Could you simplify it? He's had a tough night," Longbottom said, with a hint of nervousness in his voice.

The goblin glared at him, but seemed to silently agree. "John Granger inherits from Hermione Granger the sum of 1,250 Galleons, which is, in Muggle money, 10,000 Pounds. From David and Miriam Granger, he inherits 30,000 Pounds, which is 3,750 Galleons.That is a total of 5,000 Galleons.

"He also inherits Hermione Granger's possessions, which are nearly five hundred books and a cat/Kneazle hybrid by the name of Crookshanks." The goblin took a small piece of gold and handed it to Longbottom. "That is the key to his vault. Miss Granger did not specify any limitations, so he can come and take as much as he wants."

The first thing I thought was that I would give all that money and more to get Mother back. The next thing that popped into my mind was what did my future hold for me?

"Did she put anything about a preferred guardian for him?" Longbottom asked, as if reading my mind.

The goblin grunted and shuffled the papers. "Here it says John Granger is to be left with his grandparents. Fortunately, she seemed to have forethought that they might not be alive for this occasion," he said, without even batting an eye. "Here it says Ronald Weasley is chosen as a next guardian."

"I see," I heard Longbottom mutter. "Thank you for your time," he said a bit louder. He took my hand and led me out of the room. Only then did I notice my surroundings.

The room had been small but looked very good. The floors and walls seemed to be made of marble and there was some gold trimming the door frames. There had been a small desk, made of fine wood. I had lost all of those details because of the shock and drowsiness.

We walked out of Gringotts and into Diagon Alley. I had never been there before. Mother always told me what it looked like, what one could find there. But she had never taken me there.

I looked up at Longbottom and noticed he looked very serious. "Where are we going, Mr Longbottom?" I asked.

He stopped walking and looked at me, his eyes were wide in surprise. I wondered if I had said something wrong... "Um, we're going to see Ronald, an old friend of your par... mother," he stumbled on his words, but looked relieved for a moment.

I suppose he thought I didn't catch on. "Did you know my father, Mr Longbottom?"

"Neville," he said quickly. I blinked in confusion. "Call me Neville, please."

"Oh. Sorry, Mr... Neville," I said sheepishly.

He smiled at me. "It's okay, John." He run his hand over his face, visibly figuring out a way to talk to me. I remembered my original question. "I knew your father, yes," he said finally. "The bravest man I've ever seen." He shook his head, as if trying to shake off memories and motioned for me to follow him. "We'll floo to the Burrow."

From what Mother had told me about floo traveling, I wasn't looking forward to it.

Notes: I know, the chapters are horribly short. Some will be slightly longer. It really depends on John.

Notes: A lot of things will get answered in future chapters, one bit at a time. But it'll take a while.
Important: This is all told from John's point of view, so it might concentrate more on some aspects of a person and how they interact with him. His opinions of some characters do not reflect my opinions.

Chapter Four - The Burrow

I fell unceremoniously on the floor at the Burrow. Before I could pick myself up, I was hugged to death. Almost literally. A woman, who was probably in her sixties, was hugging me tightly and exclaiming. "Oh! Look at him! He looks so much like his father!"

I wondered how she knew that, if she didn't let me go. My face was nearly buried in her bosom, so there was no way she could verify her statement. "He needs to breathe, Mum," a deep voice said behind us, almost angrily.

"Oh, you're right. Sorry, Johnny," the woman said. I grimaced at such... ridiculous name. My name was John, not Johnny! "Why don't you show him around, Ronald. I have to talk with Neville." I had actually forgotten about Neville! He was dusting himself off near the fireplace.

The tall redhead man grunted at the woman and looked down at me. His eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, you really do look like your dad. But you've got your mother's hair," he stated. He shifted awkwardly on his feet and looked over at Neville and the older woman. "She's my Mum. Her name is Molly. I'm Ron."

We looked at each other for a long time, while Molly Weasley and Neville talked in hushed voices. "I'm John," I said, trying to come up with a conversation.

"Ronald, why don't you take him to his room?" Mrs Weasley asked out loud, cheerful and innocently, it seemed.

Uncle scowled at her and took my hand a little too roughly. I was dragged up the stairs to a series of rooms. One of them seemed to be destined for me. "My room is right next to yours. If you need anything, you ask me," he explained. "I'll see what can be done about your belongings..."

I remembered I didn't have anything with me. Just my dirty Muggle clothes under a cloak that Neville had gotten me at some point, while I had been unconscious. "I want to take a bath," I chocked out.

Uncle seemed confused, until I took off the cloak. He gasped as he noticed the dried blood, and muttered under his breath. With a sharp nod, he took my hand and led me to a small bathroom. I sighed in relief, it looked a lot like a Muggle bathroom. "Do you need any help?" Uncle asked awkwardly.

"I can do that alone, but I still don't have any clean clothes," I said.

Uncle nodded. "Don't worry about that. I think I might have some stuff from when I was your age," he said. "I'll tell my Mum to bring you the clothes later." With that, he left me in the bathroom.

It took me a few minutes to figure everything out. Nothing about magic made sense to me. Even when Mother used it from time to time.

Right before I was done, Molly Weasley walked in with Uncle's old clothes. They looked a century old. I remembered what Mother told me about the Weasleys. They were a poor family with many kids. Uncle was the youngest son, so he always got his older brothers' clothes. It explained the appearance of the clothes Mrs Weasley left for me.

Once I stepped out of the bathroom, my ears picked a couple of loud voices downstairs. Uncle and Mrs Weasley seemed to be arguing about something, but I couldn't make out the words. I hurried to my bedroom, I didn't want to interfere in their family stuff.

I fell asleep. For the first time in all my life, Mother wasn't there to tell me a bedtime story.

Notes: As you can see, Ron and Mrs Weasley are not getting along well. This affects John's perception of Ron a bit. More about this will be known in the next chapters.
Also, it might not have been night when John fell asleep in the end. The boy is stressed, so he's bound to sleep at any time.
Everything John knows about the magic world he learnt it through his mother and her books (the ones she allowed him to read).

Chapter Five - The Argument

My heart was racing as I saw Mother looking at me with a gentle smile. It would have made me happy if her mouth wasn't leaking blood. Everywhere I looked there was blood. I tried screaming, I tried pushing her away, but I couldn't move. I was paralyzed.

I woke up with a start, screaming as I saw the small room covered with blood. Someone lit their wand and shook me, but I couldn't stop. I still saw blood. "John! John!" I heard the voice, male, slightly familiar. "John, listen to me! Stop it!"

I couldn't. I felt so guilty because I simply couldn't stop screaming. "Stop shaking him, Ronald!" It was a female voice, but I barely heard it. Was he shaking me? I couldn't even feel it anymore. All I felt was cold blood creeping up over my skin.

I felt strong arms around me, rocking me, comforting me. "Go back to bed, Mum. I can do this," I heard Uncle saying. I was starting to calm down. I wasn't screaming anymore, but I was sobbing uncontrollably.

"Ronald, you can't take care of this child! You can barely take care of yourself!" Mrs Weasley exclaimed.

I buried my face on Uncle's shoulder, trying to tune them out as they argued. "Enough, both of you," I heard another male voice, stern but calm. "Let Ron handle this, honey," he said. Mrs Weasley was protesting, but apparently walked away from the room.

I was glad. I wasn't used to so much attention. I was used to Mother's care, which was a lot, but I felt free. Mrs Weasley, while I had barely interacted with her, made me feel trapped. "It's okay, John," Uncle muttered. "I'm here."

I realized I had stopped crying, and was simply whimpering. "I want Mother," I blurted out.

"I know," he said. He pulled away slightly and I noticed there was a candle on the nightstand. "John, are you hungry?" he asked.

It hit me then, that this was the same man who hadn't said much to me when I arrived. Uncle had been rather quiet and had seemed to be avoiding me. But now, he was the opposite. Probably my nightmare had scared him. Maybe he thought I was some special kid that needed special attention...

My stomach growled. I wasn't sure how long I had been asleep, but it seemed to be very dark outside. And inside the house the lights were out. "Yes," I answered, my voice was raspy from all the yelling.

He took my hand and led me through the darkness. The tip of his wand was lit, casting shadows around us. "There's a bit of leftovers from dinner. Mashed potatoes and meat, is that okay?" he asked. I nodded, almost eagerly. Really, at that time, I could have eaten a rock cake. And Mother had told me it wasn't a good idea to eat rock cakes.

The leftovers consisted of one plate of mashed potatoes and roasted beef. I ate it all. Uncle made some tea, and served me a cup when I was done. "Thank you, Uncle," I said politely as I cleaned my mouth with a napkin.

Uncle stopped pouring himself a cup of tea and looked at me for a moment, and then went back to his tea. "You're welcome, John."

We drank in silence for a few minutes, until a pounding noise made us jump on our seats. "What are you doing here at this hour?" It was Mrs Weasley again, but she didn't seem to notice me there. "I thought you promised not to-!"

"It was my fault, ma'am," I blurted out loudly enough for her to hear. "I was hungry." Mrs Weasley jumped slightly and looked over at me. I couldn't blame her for not seeing me. The kitchen was being lit by Uncle's wand on the other side of the table.

"It's okay, John," Mrs Weasley said, going over to me and hugging me again. Uncle was looking at me as if I were a ghost. "I'm not mad at you." I managed to catch Uncle rolling his eyes at this statement.

I shifted uncomfortably in the woman's arms until she let go. "Go back to sleep, Mum. I'll take him to his room when we finish our tea," he said. There was a hint of annoyance in his voice.

Mrs Weasley was already arguing before he even finished his sentence. "Ronald, I thought we talked about this before!" She grabbed his cup and sniffed at it. "What's in here?"

"Tea," he grunted, trying to snatch the cup from her hands. "I'm drinking tea. It came from the same kettle as his tea came from. Today we talked about this, I promised-"

"Don't play games with me, Ronald!" Mrs Weasley snapped. "It's not like you to ignore an excuse to drown yourself in-!"

"He is worth it!" Uncle bellowed, standing up abruptly and motioning at me. "I told you today, I won't ruin this! I'm doing it for them! And for myself!"

There was a long pause as they both glared at each other. "Are you two done?" We all jumped, this time because a man was standing at the bottom of the stairs. "Will you two ever stop fighting in front of the boy?" I couldn't make out his appearance because of the lack of light, but I knew it was Mr Weasley.

Mrs Weasley sighed and made to grab my hand. I stood up and walked around the table, towards Uncle. I could tell they were both surprised. "Johnny," the woman started in an overly soft voice adults often adopted when talking to one-year-old children.

"Leave him alone, honey," Mr Weasley said softly. "Let our son do this."

Uncle looked at his father, and I thought his eyes were shining oddly. "Thanks, Dad," he said. "Come on, John. We'll finish the tea on the way," he said as he put his wand on his chest pocket and grabbed both cups. I followed after him, not looking back at the couple.

Notes: We see that Ron has had some problems in the past, and that Mrs Weasley does not trust his supposed "progress". She doesn't think he's responsible enough to look after John.
On the other hand, John trusts him and not Mrs Weasley. She is too overwhelming for him. Hermione raised him to be independent, despite their strong mother/son bond.

Notes: This chapter will be a bit longer than usual. :)

Chapter Six - The Picture

I woke feeling much better. I dreamt of old memories with Mother. My eyes filled with tears as I remembered her sad expression before the accident. She had been thinking of Father...

I got dressed with some old clothes Mrs Weasley had given me and stepped out of the room. I nearly groaned when I heard the woman talking loudly and angrily.

So far, my stay at the Burrow was becoming rather negative. I wondered why Mrs Weasley and Uncle didn't get along. Mother had told me about the Weasley unity, but it seemed to have been broken during the years she lived away from them.

"I'm just saying he needs better clothes than my old hand-me-downs!" Uncle bellowed. I shuddered as I made my way to the bathroom.

It seemed that my stay was making them argue all the time. Were they always like that? Or did they really argue only because of me? I didn't want to interfere in their lives like that.

Once I was done in the bathroom, I went downstairs. The argument had been dropped, and Mrs Weasley was busy cooking breakfast. Uncle was reading what seemed to be the newspaper. "Good morning," I said politely, sitting next to him.

Uncle looked at me and smiled slightly. "Morning, John," he said, ruffling my already messy hair.

"Good morning, Johnny!" Mrs Weasley said cheerfully.

Inwardly, I groaned. The woman was trying horribly hard to get me to trust her. It happened so many times with most of my Nannies, I was actually good at guessing when someone was doing it.

Only one Nanny got on my good graces without effort. She was rather strict and simply told me what to do. She also taught me how to write and read in Spanish. If I recall correctly, she had left Cuba decades ago and worked in houses, looking after children or cleaning.

Uncle was not trying at all. That made me trust him. And also the fact that he was one of Mother's best friends. "What would you like to eat?" Mrs Weasley asked, still smiling.

I shrugged. "I don't have a preference, Mrs Weasley. Anything would be fine."

"He reminds me so much of his father. Always polite," she said looking at me like Aunt Geraldine used to look at me.

Breakfast was over in less than an hour. And I had to admit she cooked very well. Had I been a person who could be easily won by their stomach, I would have been hugging her like a leech.

Uncle stood up and motioned for me to follow him. We walked outside, where the sun was shining, but the air was still cool. "John," he started, looking uncomfortable. "Do you want to come with me... to um, your grandparents' house? I need to pick your things, and maybe you can take anything else, before the Muggles do."

I tensed and looked down at my feet. It would be good if we got there on time. Aunt Geraldine would probably get the house and whatever was in it. I looked up at him and nodded. "I'll go with you."

He didn't question me further, and simply stretched out his hand to me. "Hold onto my hand. This will feel a bit weird, but it'll only last a few seconds." I took his hand and closed my eyes. Mother had told me about Apparition, a way of traveling for wizards and witches. It felt as if one was being squeezed into a tube, she had said.

And it was true.

When the strange sensation left my body, I opened my eyes. We were in a train station, but it was completely empty. I looked up questionably at Uncle and he smiled sheepishly. "I haven't been at your house before, so I can't apparate there directly. We're at King's Cross, we'll walk through the barrier to the Muggle station and call a cab." He wrinkled his nose. "I hope I brought enough Muggle paper."

"Muggle paper?" I asked confusedly. He took out a note and I realized he meant Muggle money. Right, wizards used coins... "Oh, well, I suppose I can help you with that," I said as he handed me more notes. He had a hundred pounds in total, which hopefully would be enough.

We went into the Muggle part of the station, where a lot of people were walking around, getting into the train and out. No one paid attention to us when we walked through the strange barrier.

Once in the parking lot, Uncle called a cab by whistling. I blushed in embarrassment as everyone turned to look at us, while he waved at the old driver to come over for us. Luckily, I didn't have to wait long to hide inside the car. "To Harrison Street, number 6314," Uncle said, looking at a small piece of paper he had taken out of his coat.

With a slight nod, the driver sped off. It took an hour to get there, but we eventually made it. I helped paying the fee, which was nearly half of what Uncle had brought with him. But he didn't look concerned. When we got out of the car and it was far from us he smiled. "Now that I know where it is, I can simply apparate back here."

There was an awkward silence as the two of us stood in the front door. "We should go in," I said looking up at him. He nodded, and took out his wand. With a small movement and a whispered "Alohomora" the door's lock clicked open.

The house was dark and empty. I remember staying there by myself a couple of times, when both my grandparents worked or had some charity dinner, Mother was taking some courses and my current Nanny couldn't come. I was never scared of being there alone, the house had had a warm feeling to it.

But standing there with Uncle, knowing that Mother would never return, I felt as if the house was a cold prison cell. "Where is your room?" Uncle asked softly, looking around.

"Over here," I said with a bit of a struggle. I led him to my bedroom. It was next to Mother's.

When we entered my room, Uncle whistled. "Nice!" he said. "You've got a lot of things here." He took out a couple of small boxes from his pocket and placed them on the floor. "Engorgio," he said, flicking his wand at them.

Instantly, the boxes became bigger, and I realized they were old-looking trunks. Very similar to Mother's old trunk that she kept in her room. I wondered if I should take it later...

Uncle walked up to my small bookshelf and snorted. "You read all these, John?"

"Yeah," I said, trying to hide a smirk.

With a shake of his head and a flick of his wand, the bookshelf was shrunk and Uncle placed it inside one of the trunks. "Wow," I said looking at the small furniture with all the small books. "That's great, Uncle. This could save us a lot of time."

"Yup! Still can't figure how Muggles can live without magic..." he muttered as he turned, to find more things to shrink, probably.

I turned to my nightstand and grabbed a picture of Mother and I of when I was three years old. I was a bit chubby back then and my hair was much messier. Mother was holding me in her arms as I sat on her lap and laughed at the camera. She was looking at the camera as well, with a proud grin. I remember I had recited a poem from one of her favorite authors that day. Of course, it wasn't perfect, but most kids at that age didn't bother with reading, much less reciting poems.

In the reflection of the glass I saw Uncle behind me. I turned around slightly to look at him. We stared at each other for a few seconds, before we returned to packing my things.

It took us nearly three hours, but once we were done, Uncle shrunk the trunks again and put them in his pockets. When we walked out of my room he looked around and stopped. "Is there anything else you want to get?"

I thought for a few seconds, and in the silence of the house I heard some scratching coming from the kitchen. I gasped. "Crookshanks! He must be outside, we let him out before we left," I said as I ran to the kitchen and opened the back-door. As predicted, Mother's pet entered and looked at me in what I suppose was annoyance. "Sorry," I said lamely.

"I can't believe that thing is still alive," Uncle said wrinkling his nose slightly when he saw Crookshanks.

The cat glared at him and looked around. Then he glanced back at me, as if asking me where Mother was. I gulped. "Mother's not coming back, Crookshanks," I said, and knew that my voice was shaky.

Then, Mother's cat did something that he had never done before. He walked towards me and rubbed his head against my legs.

I couldn't hold it any longer, I knelt and took him in my arms, and I cried.

Notes: Harrison Street, number 6314... I don't know anything about streets, so I simply made up the name and the number. The number is more personal than anything and the name is self-explanatory. ;)

Chapter Seven - The Attack

We returned to The Burrow shortly after, with Crookshanks and my belongings. Uncle helped me set up my new room to my liking, and then we went downstairs for supper. Thankfully the rest of the day was uneventful. Uncle and Mrs Weasley did not argue in my presence, or if they did, they weren't as loud.

That night, as Uncle and I headed to our rooms, I realized we hadn't brought Mother's old trunk. I had been distracted when Crookshanks had started scratching the back-door, and after my little outburst I didn't have the energy to think about anything.

"Uncle," I said, stopping in front of the door to my room. "I forgot something today." I looked down at my feet in shame. I didn't want to make him go back there. Not even I wanted to go to my old home.

I glanced up at him and was surprised when he didn't look annoyed or disappointed. He was calm and looking at me expectantly. "What was it?"

"Mother's old trunk," I said simply.

He nodded sharply and then slowly smiled. "Well, then. Tomorrow we'll go back, and maybe you can pick anything else you've missed." I nodded in gratitude. "Night, John," he said patting my head and then turning to his bedroom.

"Good night, Uncle," I said quietly, and headed to my own room.

Nearly four hours later, or so I guess, I woke up panting and sweating. The house was silent and dark, and there was no light coming from outside. That night seemed to be moonless.

This time I didn't scream, but I could still feel blood on my hands, and hear it moving on the walls, as if it were a living thing. I pulled up the comforter over my head, trying to shield myself from the dark room.

I remember falling asleep while sobbing quietly and shaking with fear.

I woke up when Mrs Weasley slammed the door open. Or maybe she didn't open it so violently, but it felt that way to me. "Up, up, Johnny! Today's a sunny day!" she said cheerfully, throwing clean clothes on my bed.

I felt too tired to feel annoyed. I rubbed my eyes and sat up. I tried not to cringe at the odd selection of clothes she had placed for me. Wizards and witches should be to kept away from Muggle garments.

Luckily, she left the room to give me some privacy, so I took advantage of that and put away the orange shirt and the green shorts. The house might have been under a Heating Charm of some sorts, according to Mr Weasley, but I wasn't going to stay indoors all day, anyway.

Even though I was a boy and didn't care for fashion, I still had the sense of color. I remembered Mother also had liked to dress casually, she wasn't like the other mothers, who would wear make-up or dress up formally when picking their children at school. And her hair was always bushy, but it was soft and I liked hugging her and having her hair get in the way.

Once out of the bathroom, I went downstairs to eat breakfast. Mrs Weasley was moving about, busy with the food. Uncle was, once again, reading the newspaper. The Daily Prophet. "Good morning," I said, sitting next to him.

Uncle looked up from the paper and smiled at me. "Morning, John," he said and then returned to reading.

"Good morning, Johnny," Mrs Weasley said a little less loudly than when she woke me up minutes before. She didn't comment on the different clothes I was wearing, and placed before me a plate with bacon and fried eggs. Such unhealthy food. Fortunately, she made better food at noon and at night. I ate a little bit and then slightly shoved the plate aside.

Uncle quickly took it from me and started eating what I had left. I found it amusing that he could eat so quickly, and couldn't help smiling. I looked up at Mrs Weasley and my smile faded. She didn't look happy. "Ronald! That was Johnny's breakfast!"

I inwardly groaned. I knew it was too good to be true. Uncle swallowed before speaking up. "He doesn't like this, Mum. And why waste it, if I can eat it?"

"Oh, that's rubbish! Of course he likes what I cooked for him!" she said angrily, then she turned to me with a smile. "Don't you, Johnny?" Mrs Weasley asked me, her face was a mix of anger and fake cheerfulness.

I panicked. What could I say? Whatever I did seemed to make them fight each other. Mr Weasley was out, working, so there was no one to make them stop. I felt my chest tighten, suddenly. And it was getting difficult for me to breathe. "I... I..." That was all I could say, before things went black.

Notes: Poor John. :( I make him suffer so much. I made Molly so overwhelming that she's starting to get on my nerves, hehehe. But well, it's his point of view, not mine.
What happened to John will be explained in next chapter, though it's nothing horribly serious. It's a bit like stress, you know. He comes from a relatively calm house and now is caught in the line of fire, between Molly and Ron, plus his mother's death... It's not field trip for John.

Chapter Eight - The Counselor

When I woke up, I was in a white room. There was sunlight entering from a large window to my left, and there was another bed to my right, but it was empty. I sighed.

"You're awake," a feminine voice pointed out. It was calm, but slightly... dreamy? I looked over at the door, not far from both beds. Somehow, I hadn't seen the door open and someone come in. "How are you feeling?" she asked, closing the door behind her.

The woman was very young, maybe in her twenties. She had long blonde hair, and her slightly protruding eyes were gray or light blue. She was wearing opaque robes, indicating that she was probably a witch. She looked very simple, but she was pretty nonetheless. "I'm okay," I replied. "Where am I? Where's Uncle?"

She smiled slightly. "You're at St. Mungo's, a hospital for magical people. You had a panic or anxiety attack and fainted," she explained. "Your uncle Ronald and Mrs Weasley are waiting outside, but I can't let them in until I'm sure you're feeling better." She turned around and took in her surroundings. "Oh, well," she said with a shrug, as she took out her wand and with a flick, a small cushioned chair appeared next to my bed. She promptly sat on it, and smiled at me.

"Who are you?" I asked, feeling very curious.

"My name is Luna Lovegood, I work as a counselor for children, here in St. Mungo's," she said. "What's your name?"

"Didn't Uncle tell you?" I asked confusedly.

Miss Lovegood's smile didn't fade. "Of course. But I'd like you to speak for yourself."

I nodded. "I'm John Granger," I said, extending my hand for her to shake.

She did so. "Hello, John," Miss Lovegood said. "Would you like to tell me why you're here?"

I frowned, unsure of what to say. "I don't know... I mean, all I know is that I obviously fainted." She nodded, as if encouraging me to go on. But I wanted to make sure of something, before I could tell her anything. "You can't say anything to Mrs Weasley or Uncle, right?"

"Of course. Whatever you and I speak will not be repeated or told to anyone else. You've got my word. Would you like me to place a Silencing Charm so that no one outside can hear us?" I nodded. "Well, then." Miss Lovegood waved her wand, mumbling something, and soft sparks came out from the tip. "Now it's just the two of us, John."

I didn't know where to start, so I decided to say the obvious. "My mother died two three nights ago, in a car accident." I knew my voice was trembling, and cursed myself for not being strong enough to keep calm. I felt my heart pounding in my chest. "She... she..." I couldn't breathe. I felt as helpless as before, in the kitchen at The Burrow.

Miss Lovegood stood up and held my hand. "It's okay, John. You don't have to say anything else," she said quickly. "Try to breathe deeply and don't close your eyes for too long." I did as she told me, and it took a few minutes for my heart rate and breathing to calm down. "You feel better, now?"

I nodded. "Yes, thank you."

After a few minutes of silence, where I was sitting and still holding her hand, she spoke up. "John... Do you have any nightmares? Your uncle mentioned one on your first night at his home."

I tried to keep calm. "Yes. But I don't want to talk about it." I let go of her hand.

Miss Lovegood simply nodded. "Okay, then. I'll make sure that you are given a Draught of Peace and Sleeping Draught, it will prevent you from having those nightmares. You will have to take them for a week, every night, before you go to bed."

She started heading out, and I felt the urge to stop her. The way she talked to me, despite being a counselor. She wasn't trying. "Will I be able to talk to you again?"

She turned around, smiling, and nodded. "Of course. Whenever you need me, just tell your uncle to let me know. You can even write me if you're uncomfortable with talking."

For the first time since I woke in that white, unknown room, I smiled.

When Miss Lovegood opened the door Uncle tried to hurry inside. This resulted in them nearly colliding with each other. I watched on curiously. Uncle looked embarrassed, since they were very close to each other. "Um, hi, Luna."

Miss Lovegood hadn't stopped smiling, but it seemed different from the way she had smiled at me. "Hello, Ronald," she said calmly, and glanced over at me briefly, before looking back at Uncle. "I was actually looking for you. Come with me."

Uncle looked at me helplessly and I shrugged, trying to keep my face emotionless. With a sigh, he followed after Miss Lovegood and closed the door.

I didn't know Uncle was so nervous around girls.

Notes: I must say, Luna's job came by itself, but it fits a lot. Her role, however, is the one I already had in mind. For a while, she might appear briefly, but don't worry, she's very important. :)
I could have given her a position in The Quibbler, but it wouldn't be true to what I think of her (at least, in this story). I see her as a nice person kids can talk to. And I see her as someone who wants to help kids who went through something traumatic, as she did when she was a little girl.
If anyone is confused on the current day, it's December 28. I know I got lost for a moment there. Hopefully, it won't happen again. :P

Chapter Nine - The Job

Uncle and I were standing in front of my grandparents' house, on the next morning. We went inside and I led the way towards Mother's room, right next to mine.

Her room was small, but tidy and organized. I glanced at her bookshelf and sighed. There were many useful books there, but most were Muggle books. Her magic books were safely put in a vault at Gringotts, since they weren't school books.

Mother had a small but wide bed, a short nightstand and a simple drawer against the wall, with a mirror. The bookshelf took a large space against the wall facing the door, and a small closet was beside it. I knew the trunk should be there.

She kept pictures of Father, her and Uncle. Some of her old school books and her study notes. Her old robes and her dress for a Yule Ball from her Fourth Year at Hogwarts. There were letters from her friends, and some that she never sent.

I never knew exactly the contents of any of her things, but she had explained it to me and told me I could not read through the letters until I was older and could understand adult stuff. I would keep my word and I would wait.

I turned around and noticed Uncle was looking at the portraits in her room. Most were of her and me at different stages of my life. There were a bunch of her with her parents. And there were a few of her when she was pregnant. Uncle was looking at one of those in awe. "I actually never imagined what she'd look like while pregnant..." he muttered.

I walked up to him and stared at the picture, as well. It was taken a few days before I was born, according to Mother. Her belly was big and she was actually caught off guard by Grandma, while eating ice cream and pickles. Uncle and I winced in disgust. "I can't believe someone can eat that," I said.

"Me neither."

We picked most of the portraits and put them in her old trunk. It had been sealed with a normal lock and a weak Locking Charm, but Uncle said it must have been so that Muggles couldn't open it. At my request, Uncle shrunk her bookshelf and put it in another trunk that he had brought.

As much as I wanted to take everything with me so no one would use her things, I knew it was inevitable. So I just took her pillow and a blanket that she had knitted for me when I was a baby. Uncle looked at me quizzically, and I blushed in embarrassment. "I... It has her smell," I said quietly.

"That's fine, John," he said with a smile. He put the pillow and the blanket in the trunk he brought, and then shrunk it. Mother's old trunk was already in my pocket. "Is there anything else we should pick?"

I looked around and sighed. No matter how many things I took with me, Mother would never come back. I sighed and shook my head. I felt Uncle's hand on my shoulder and I looked up at him. "Can... can I talk to Miss Lovegood someday?"

He nodded, with what seemed to be a sad smile. "Of course."

After locking the house, we went back to The Burrow. Mrs Weasley greeted me with milk and muffins. Neither she nor Uncle had said a thing about what happened the previous day, and I really didn't want to bring it up.

Uncle had not read the newspaper that morning, so he read it while I drank my milk. "I think I finally got it!" he said excitedly, nearly five minutes after grabbing the Daily Prophet. Mrs Weasley looked at him apprehensively, but said nothing. "Listen to this: 'Do you want to earn a few Galleons? Do you know your way around a kitchen? The Leaky Cauldron is offering a post for cook assistant. Please present yourself on January 1st, to demonstrate your abilities.'" He turned to me with a grin. "Reckon I should go?"

I realized then that Uncle didn't seem to have a job. So he had been looking for one in the magic newspaper. "Do you like to cook?" I asked curiously. After all, Mrs Weasley was the one doing all the cooking always.

He looked over at Mrs Weasley and frowned. Then he turned back at me, his expression replaced with a grin. "Yeah, I love to cook." His eyes lit up at that.

"Then I think it's a great idea," I said simply.

But, apparently, someone else didn't think that way. "You could do much better than that, Ronald," Mrs Weasley said. She had been listening to us, while somehow dusting things with her wand. "You could ask your father or even your brother to find you a job in the Ministry."

Uncle scowled at her, but his voice was calm when he spoke. "I want to do things on my own. Besides, I don't like the idea of working for the Ministry. I want to do something I like, for a change."

"Could you cook dinner for me, Uncle?" I blurted out, startling them both. I ducked my head when they looked at me. "Sorry."

Uncle chuckled and ruffled my hair. "No need to apologize, John. You did nothing wrong. And, yes, I'll make dinner tonight." He looked at Mrs Weasley with a smile, but his eyes seemed to shine with determination, as if daring her to object.

She didn't. Instead, she walked away from the kitchen, to keep cleaning the house. Somehow, that made me feel better. And, looking back at Uncle, I thought he too felt better.

That night, dinner was great. Mr Weasley and I made Uncle blush a lot because we kept praising him for the delicious food. Really, I didn't know liver and potatoes could taste so well together. Mrs Weasley ate in silence, but she had two servings.

Notes: Mrs Weasley will have to realize she can't win this battle, and she'll have to trust Ron. The question is, will she? It is very difficult for a mother to trust a son who has harmed himself (with alcohol, in this case) in the past. I can understand what she feels, even if it annoys me.
John is starting to ask for things, which is good. I had the impression he was much like his father, always keeping things to himself and allowing others to drag him along.

Notes: Not only is this chapter huge, compared to the others in this story, but it's also packed with things.
I'm also done with synchronizing the story in FFnet, Portkey (org) and Ficwad (com). So, now I won't have to feel confused each time I update it. :P

Chapter Ten - The Failure

It was the second day I had woken up without a problem. The two potions I had to take every night were very helpful. Even if I was sure Muggle medicine could help me the same way, I had to admit magic was very handy.

There was a knock on my door. "I'm awake," I said loud enough for Mrs Weasley to hear me. I instantly wondered why she hadn't simply burst in like she usually did.

The door slowly opened, and I realized it wasn't Mrs Weasley at all. It was Uncle. "Morning, John," he said, entering and walking towards the window, to open the curtains. He then turned around. "Luna will be here in an hour, so why don't you get ready? I'll be waiting downstairs with breakfast."

Uncle left the room, and I noticed he seemed to be wearing clean clothes and that his hair was a bit damp. My room also smelt of some kind of strong cologne because of him. I sneezed as I got up. That was the first time I had seen him so dressed up.

I remembered how Mother would always make me look presentable whenever there were guests back at home. Many dentists and business-people would visit my grandparents from time to time. I sometimes had to spend hours listening to their boring business talks.

Maybe the Weasleys also had to get dressed up when they had visits.

Nearly half an hour later I went to the kitchen, to find breakfast served and Mrs Weasley gone. Only Uncle was there, eating. "Good morning," I said, sitting next to him. I also noticed my breakfast was a little more bearable: toast, jam, milk and cheese. Uncle had his usual energetic (and cholesterol-filled) food.

After swallowing a string of bacon he turned to me and smiled. "Morning, John," he said, and went back to his food. I already knew it was a lost cause to talk to him while he was eating. Most of the time, I didn't understand what he was saying, because he talked with his mouth full.

We ate in considerable silence. All the while, I was thinking of where Mrs Weasley had gone to. I wasn't worried, just curious. I'd never seen that woman leave her house, in the few days I had been living there.

Nevertheless, the oddly calm breakfast came to an end, and after Uncle left the dishes in the sink (I didn't think I'd get used to watching them clean themselves), we went to the living room. I sat on a small worn-out couch, while he sat on a larger one.

We waited in an awkward silence for Miss Lovegood. Since I was rather short for my age, my legs hung in the air, so I busied myself by kicking the air and moving my feet in circles.

Uncle had his elbows resting on his knees, and was leaning forward in his couch. He was fidgeting with his dark blue jumper, and seemed to be nervous about something. After a while he looked up at me. "John," he said and stopped, as if measuring his words. "You know - you know you can trust me, right?" He didn't give me time to answer, because when I opened my mouth, he spoke again. "I mean, when you need any help, you know you can ask me. I'm... Well, I'll do anything for you, okay?"

I found myself speechless. Mostly because I didn't know what to make of it.

A knock on the door startled us, and Uncle quickly went to answer the door. Miss Lovegood stepped in, dressed in casual dark robes. "Hello, Ronald," she said as she walked into the house. She spotted me and smiled softly. "Hello, John."

"Good morning, Miss Lovegood," I said, standing up.

She looked over her shoulder at Uncle and raised an eyebrow. He simply shrugged. I wondered what was that about, but neither of them seemed interested in sharing that with me. Turning back to me, Miss Lovegood sat down on the couch where Uncle had been sitting. "John, do you want your uncle Ron to stay in the room with us, or do you want to talk with me alone?"

I looked at Uncle nervously. He smiled. "Whatever you want, I'll respect that, John," he said.

My gaze shifted to the floor. "I... I want to talk with Miss Lovegood... alone."

"That's all right," she said, her voice calm and casual.

When I looked up at Uncle, I was relieved that he wasn't angry or disappointed. He smiled at me and nodded. "Have a nice chat. I'm going to Diagon Alley to help Mum with the groceries."

"That blue suits you, Ronald. It even repels Inu-jins," Miss Lovegood said vaguely. Uncle blinked and blushed, before nodding and leaving quickly through the front door.

I looked curiously at her. "What's an... Ee-noo-sheen?"

"An Inu-jin is a tiny little creature that looks like a dog and likes to eat clothes. Some Japanese family brought them along many centuries ago, and they have spread all over Britain since then. But they don't like the blue color," she explained.

There were so many things I didn't know about the magical world that the Inu-jins seemed amazing to me. "Wow," I said. Thankfully I had blue socks on.

She nodded knowingly, before looking at me with an expectant expression. "What did you want to talk about, John?"

I sighed and looked at my hands. I didn't want to say anything bad about anyone. But I knew I could trust Miss Lovegood as a professional, even if Uncle seemed awkward around her. "I don't understand what's going on between Mrs Weasley and Uncle. They keep yelling at each other. Uncle seems mad at her, and she seems to always find a fault in what he does."

I could almost swear her lips twitched upwards when I asked that, as if she found that funny. "You're a smart boy, John," she said softly, before straightening up in the couch. She looked up briefly, like she was trying to think about how to go on. "Well, I've known them since I graduated from Hogwarts, seven years ago," she started. "Did you know Ronald is not Molly's only child?" I nodded, though I didn't remember exactly how many siblings Uncle had. "He has five older brothers and a younger sister.

"Bill, the oldest, became a skilled curse-breaker and works for Gringotts. He got married when Ronald was seventeen, and has a son of your age. Charlie is still working in Romania, as a dragon tamer. Then there's Percy, he works in the Ministry as the Minister's personal assistant. Fred and George are twins, they own a shop. They sell anything a prankster needs," she explained. "Ginny, the only female born Weasley in many generations, works with the twins. And she's married to an Auror."

I blinked in realization. "Uncle... doesn't have a job..." I said slowly, and then remembered about the newspaper. "He thinks he found one, a cook needs an assistant at the Leaky Cauldron. But Mrs Weasley wasn't happy about it." Miss Lovegood's eyebrows raised when I mentioned the possible job. "He says he likes it. And he knows how to cook," I said defensively.

She smiled, almost fondly. "I know he does. Your uncle is very talented when it comes to Quidditch and food."

"I think he's fun," I said looking at my hands again. "And he listens to me."

"Do you think Molly doesn't listen to you?" Miss Lovegood asked in a curious tone.

I shook my head. "She's nice, but she's... It's like she's... everywhere and I feel - I feel trapped," I said honestly. Her eyebrows had raised, once again, in what I supposed was surprise. "Is it bad?"

"No, John. You have the right to feel the way you do. If someone is not making you feel okay, you can't be forced to like them," she said as if it was obvious. "But I think you should tell people when they make you feel uncomfortable. It's important that you learn to do things for yourself."

I frowned at her, but not in anger. "Mother always told me that," I said softly, remembering.

"I'm sure she did," Miss Lovegood said. "I didn't know her like your father and uncle did, but I know she was great person. Very smart and wise."

My eyes watered, and I tried hard not to cry. "Why did she die? She could have used Apparition! But she didn't, she just placed some spells on me..." I choked, and pulled my legs closer to me.

Miss Lovegood quietly got up from her couch and hugged me. I felt I couldn't hold on anymore. I hugged her back and cried. "It requires a lot of concentration to apparate from one place to another," she explained softly. "Your mother was a smart woman, she must've known there wasn't enough time to try a side-along apparition."

I cried again, but this time more freely than when I had met Crookshanks after the accident. It felt almost like a betrayal, though. I was hugging a woman, crying, and seeking the kind of comfort I got when hugging Mother. That made me cry more.

When I finally stopped crying, I was feeling tired and sleepy. Miss Lovegood was still hugging me, rubbing my back from time to time. At some point, I had ended up sitting on her lap and burying my face on her shoulder and her hair. I sadly noticed it wasn't the same as Mother's hair.

I heard the front door open, and Miss Lovegood shifted a bit in the couch, but didn't let go. And I buried my face in her neck, not wanting to let her go. "Is he asleep?" I heard Uncle whisper.

"I don't think so," Miss Lovegood said as quietly. "John, do you want to go to bed?" she asked me.

I shook my head. "No."

They didn't say anything for a few moments, though I felt Miss Lovegood moving her arms slightly. "John, would you mind letting her sit in the other couch? You can sit next to her," Uncle said softly.

Finally I nodded. "Okay," I said, letting go of Miss Lovegood and allowing Uncle to pick me up and carry me to the bigger couch. I saw the blonde woman standing up and stretching a bit, but otherwise calm and not angry. But I felt guilty for having acted like a leech.

Uncle sat next to me and allowed me to lean on him. I instantly hugged his side, like a tick changing hosts. He simply chuckled softly. I saw Miss Lovegood smile slightly at us and then she walked out of the living room. I panicked. "Where is she going?" Wasn't she going to say goodbye?

"I reckon she needs to use the loo," Uncle whispered in a conspirational tone. I blushed. "Which reminds me, you should go when she returns. I bought lunch from the Leaky Cauldron for the three of us."

I looked up at him curiously. "Where is Mrs Weasley?"

"Well, she went to see Fred and George, my brothers. They own a shop in Diagon Alley," he explained. "My sister was there as well. She won't come back until dinner time, because she's arranging everything for... Oh!" he said, as if remembering something. "Tomorrow night we'll have a... family dinner, for... New Year's Eve."

I raised my eyebrows in realization. It would be the first time I saw a new year without Mother. Suddenly I wondered if I'd be an intrusion to the Weasley family dinner. "Where do I go?" I asked.

Uncle seemed taken aback. "Well, here, of course. You're part of the family," he said. I felt happy to be considered part of the family, even if I didn't think I deserved it.

Right then, Miss Lovegood came back and sat on the other side of the couch. I quickly changed hosts, much to their amusement. "What were you two talking about?" she asked as she caressed my hair.

"About tomorrow night, New Year's Eve," Uncle explained. Then, after a few moments of silence, he spoke up again. "Who are you spending it with?"

I felt her shrug. "By myself," she said casually. I quickly looked at Uncle over my shoulder, and frowned. He looked at me and then nodded, a smile creeping on his face.

"Would you... um, like to have dinner with us?" Uncle asked, suddenly looking nervous.

"It's noon, Ronald," Miss Lovegood said amusedly.

He chuckled. "I meant tomorrow night. Though I'm counting on you eating lunch with us," he added.

I looked up at Miss Lovegood and put up my best puppy face, the kind that Mother never could resist. She smiled down at me and then turned to Uncle, and laughed softly. When I looked at him over my shoulder I had to laugh as well. It seemed I wasn't the only one who thought about the face, though he looked silly, being an adult and all. "I can't say no, if you both look so cute, can I?" she asked rhetorically. I knew I wasn't the only one blushing at that comment.

We sprung into action after that. Uncle heated the food he brought and the three of us sat at the kitchen table.

After swallowing a large piece of meat, Uncle looked at me. "Guess what?" he asked. I blinked and raised an eyebrow, curious. "I talked to Tom, the landlord of the Leaky Cauldron. I told him I was interested in the job, and after a little demonstration he said I'll get the job."

I felt very happy. My mind had been replaying what Miss Lovegood had told me about his siblings, and I knew he really needed to be told it was a good idea. "Congratulations. I'm sure everyone will enjoy your cooking, Uncle."

"Congratulations, Ronald," Miss Lovegood said brightly. "I think it's a smart decision. I'll be sure to pass by and eat lunch there, then."

They stared at each other for a moment. I blinked in confusion. They almost reminded me of the sappy books Mother used to read to me so I would fall asleep. Both adults blushed and looked back into their plates. Finally, I understood what was going on. I hid my smile as I drank from my cup.

Miss Lovegood stayed with us until five o' clock in the afternoon. I took a nap in Uncle's arms as he and she talked in the living room. Then they showed me a large Weasley family album, so I would know who was who on New Year's Eve.

As Uncle closed the front door and sighed, having said goodbye to Miss Lovegood, I smiled mischievously and said, in the most innocent tone I could manage. "Don't worry, Uncle. You'll see Miss Lovegood tomorrow night."

I almost burst out laughing at his expression, which was a mix of surprise and embarrassment.

Notes: Wow. Now we know more about the Weasleys, and John figured out something about his Uncle and Luna. Also, Mrs Weasley made a good thing today! Congratulations!
Sometimes I get impatient, and this story is mostly an exercise to me. I had to rewrite a few things, because I almost rushed into something that shouldn't happen until later chapters.

Chapter Eleven - The Family

Mrs Weasley seemed a bit distant when she returned, but not in a bad way. She allowed Uncle to prepare dinner again, since she claimed to be busy cleaning up the house for the events of the following night. Mr Weasley and Uncle headed outside to prepare the backyard for any possible outdoor activities. So I stayed inside with Crookshanks, reading a book.

Loud voices woke me up on the following day. I sighed in relief when I realized they were happy voices and not arguing voices. Mrs Weasley was greeting another woman, apparently. There was a soft knock on the door of my bedroom, and I got up to open it.

Uncle looked at me with a sheepish expression. "John, my brothers and sister decided to come here earlier than I thought. They want to meet you. Do you want to meet them now or do you rather sleep some more?"

The sunlight was bright, even through the curtains, so I supposed it was late to go back sleep, anyway. "I'll be ready in a bit," I said seriously. Uncle nodded and closed the door.

It took me a good fifteen minutes, since I was trying to find something blue to wear. I didn't want an Inu-jin to eat my clothes while I was wearing them!

When I went to the kitchen, I was met with the bizarre image of five redheads. There were two men, shorter and stockier than Uncle, and identical to each other. Fred and George Weasley. There was a young woman with long hair tied in a low ponytail. Ginny.

She was looking at me with a startled expression. The twins, who had been talking loudly and laughing, were also looking at me as if I had done something wrong. Suddenly I felt nervous. All the staring was starting to creep me out.

As if sensing my discomfort, Uncle walked up to me and put a hand on my shoulder. "John, meet my annoying brothers, Fred and George," he said. Even if I already knew them from the pictures he showed me the previous day, I let him explain. "She is my little sister, Ginevra. We call her Ginny, though," he added quickly, when she glared at him. "Ginny, Fred, George, this is John Granger."

That seemed to break the ice. The twins instantly came up to me and pushed each other around, fighting to shake my hand. I looked questioningly at Uncle, but he just shrugged.

I turned around and noticed that Miss Weasley was approaching me. She crouched slightly and smiled. "Hey there," she said.

"Hello, Miss Weasley," I said politely.

She chuckled. "I haven't been called that in a long while. I'm married, so I usually go by Mrs Longbottom. But that makes me sound too old, don't you think? Just between us, you can call me Ginny," she said amusedly.

I blinked in surprise. "Do you know Auror Neville Longbottom?" I asked.

Ginny smiled and nodded. "Yes, he's my husband. You'll probably see him tonight."

I was whirled around abruptly, and I realized it had been one of the twins. They were grinning down at me, and I almost did a double-take as I was reminded of Tweedledum and Tweedledee, from the old Disney cartoon movie. "You want to try one of our products?" one of them asked me, and then turned to his twin. "What do you think, George? Which one do we give him?"

As George struck a pose as if he were really thinking about it, I felt two strong hands on my shoulders. Both twins rolled their eyes and looked up at whoever was behind me. "Ronnikins, you're not fun at all," George finally said, as they both backed away.

"Don't listen to them, John," Uncle said softly. "They're troublemakers." At that, they started making faces at him, but he didn't pay attention. I nodded obediently, ignoring the two non-adults.

"Ginny, dear, when are you and Neville going to give me grandchildren?" I heard Mrs Weasley ask. Fred and George snickered, but Uncle sighed in annoyance.

Ginny rolled her eyes and shook her head. "For the last time, Mum, let it go! And don't mention it in front of him!" She left the kitchen hastily, and went to sit in the living room, leaving Mrs Weasley looking surprised.

Uncle also the left the kitchen.

Not wanting to be around Fred and George or Mrs Weasley, I followed him. I sat down on the small worn out couch, while Ginny and Uncle sat on the large one.

They were talking in hushed tones. It looked like he was comforting her. Eventually, she didn't look angry anymore, and instead she and Uncle were chuckling.

The door in the kitchen opened and we all heard Mrs Weasley exclaiming happily. "Bill! You're finally here! Fleur, and little Franky!"

A tall man with dark red hair in a low and short ponytail entered the living room. He had three white scars across his face, and earrings that looked like fangs. He also had a thin mustache. "Hi, Ginny, Ron," he said, nodding at them. When he turned to me, he sighed and seemed sad. "Hello, John."

I frowned in confusion. How did he know my name? But then again, Mrs Weasley probably had sent letters to her family, explaining why I was there. "Hello, sir," I said.

"Quite polite, aren't you?" he asked, walking up to me so he could ruffle my hair. I wrinkled my nose at that. I could only tolerate that from one or two people. And Bill was not one of them.

A pretty blonde woman walked into the living room, followed by a boy of my age. The boy had light orange hair and gray eyes, and his skin was pale. "Hello, everyone," the woman said in a strange accent, which I recognized. French people spoke English with that accent. I had been to France a few times, with my grandparents and Mother, so I was familiar with the speech.

"Hey, Francois, look. You can play with John," Bill said to the boy. "You can probably teach him some games, since he was Muggle-raised."

What was that supposed to mean? I suddenly felt very defensive of my family's lifestyle. It wasn't as if Muggles didn't know how to have fun!

Francois seemed to ponder this, as he looked at me critically. I paid no attention, and shifted my gaze to Uncle, almost helplessly.

A knock made us all turn to the front door, and I grinned. Only a non-Weasley would knock, that much I had learnt. So it was probably Miss Lovegood.

"Luna, dear!" I heard Mrs Weasley saying. "How wonderful is to have you around again! Oh, that's the jumper I gave you five years ago!"

Miss Lovegood emerged from the kitchen, with her usual dreamy expression. She was wearing blue pants and a light-blue jumper, which had a dark blue L on it. Uncle stood up and greeted her awkwardly, eyeing the rest of us through the corner of his eye. But Miss Lovegood had no problem in kissing him on the cheek. "Hi, Luna," he stuttered.

"Hello, Ronald," she said casually.

I got up and hugged her legs, my head barely reaching above her hip. "Hi, Miss Lovegood!" I said brightly.

She chuckled and crouched so she could hug me. "You know, John, you can call me Luna," she told me amusedly. "You don't have to be so formal."

I blushed and nodded. "Okay... Luna," I squeaked out. Then I remembered about my socks. "Look, that way the Inu-jins won't eat my clothes," I said, pulling the leg of my pants so they both could see the color of my socks.

Luna smiled proudly. "Very wise, John," she said, and we both looked up at Uncle. He was chuckling quietly, his blue eyes shining in amusement. "Do you have anything blue on, Ronald?" Luna asked, her own eyes flicking with mischief.

Uncle blushed and stammered something that sounded a lot like "underwear." But I wasn't about to question him.

As the day progressed, two more Weasleys came to the Burrow. Charlie, the second oldest, was a muscular bloke with short hair. He was rather easy-going and fun to talk to. He didn't bring anyone, and apparently was too much in love with his job. Percy was also single, and quite distant. He didn't even acknowledge me when Uncle presented me.

Finally, Neville Longbottom arrived. Ginny met him cheerfully with a peck on the lips (I blushed when I saw that), and a hug. They looked quite happy with each other, so I wasn't sure why Ginny had been mad at Mrs Weasley at the mention of children.

When he saw me, Neville smiled softly. "Hey, there, John," he said. "How have you been?"

I returned the smile, and extended my hand for he to shake. This made him chuckle, but he shook my hand nonetheless. "I'm okay. Uncle is very good, and he's helping me a lot," I said, hoping it sounded favorable for my guardian. After all, Neville was an Auror.

He nodded, his eyes shining. "I'm very glad to hear that," he told me.

Francois turned out to be an interesting distraction, and an improvement from Aunt Geraldine's grandchildren. He was old enough to talk to, but not old enough to have deep conversations. He wasn't as arrogant as I thought he was when I first saw him, but he had an air of superiority, probably because of his mother.

Finally, at eight o' clock, we sat to have dinner. I sat between Uncle and Francois. Luna sat at Uncle's other side, but I wasn't worried about that. I was actually a bit hungry.

There was a lot of chicken and meat, salads, mashed potatoes and the list kept going. It took us all one hour and fifteen minutes to finish all the food. Mostly, because the adults kept talking about their family things.

Francois and I kept to ourselves as the Weasleys, their spouses (or friend, in Uncle's case) jumped from one topic to the other.

I learnt that Percy didn't like Father since before the end of the Second War. Apparently, Father had played a big role on finishing it. I wasn't sure why Percy would dislike Father, then. Most of the Weasleys didn't seem to get along with him, only Mrs Weasley. Mr Weasley looked as if he was obligated to mediate.

The rest of the Weasleys seemed to think highly of Father, though.

When we moved to the living room, Uncle sat between Luna and me on the large couch. The others got chairs and the twins conjured more seats for everyone. They didn't stop talking, remembering those who fell during the Second War, and those who survived.

Soon, it was time for the countdown, and the Weasleys were rather loud about it. Everyone left their sitting positions to rush about the place. The adults got small glasses with cinder, while Francois and I were given pumpkin juice. We still had five minutes, though.

I saw Uncle running off, and then return with two small cups with pumpkin juice, he gave one to Luna, who seemed glad of the change. I was feeling too curious to stay sitting on the couch, so I walked up to them.

As he came back to stand in front of her, he looked at me and smiled. "Hey, John! What are you going to wish?"

I blinked in confusion. "Aren't wishes made in birthdays?"

Luna nodded. "Yes, but some of us also make wishes as the new year starts," she explained.

"Do they come true?" I asked curiously.

She looked at Uncle from the corner of her eye before looking back at me and nodding. "Most of the time," she said.

I grinned at that, before trying to come up with a wish. "I think I know what I want to wish," I said.

"I wish I get the new broomstick, the Cumulus 2007!" Francois said excitedly next to me. At some point, he had decided I was the wickest kid on the block.

"I'll wish this new job works out," Uncle said hopefully. Luna touched his arm at that.

"I wish for a better year for all of us," she said.

The three of them turned to me, expectantly. I looked at my feet, almost ashamed to say it. "I wish... I can find Father this year," I said quietly. "I want to know him."

When I looked up, I saw Luna's eyes shining and Uncle looking at me sadly. Francois looked genuinely confused, but said nothing.

"Ten! Nine!" the other adults had started chanting, and we jumped, slightly startled. I raised my cup (Francois imitating me immediately), and counted with the rest. Uncle and Luna quickly shook themselves, also following the countdown.

"Eight! Seven!"

As I counted, I realized it was the last year I spent with my mother. The first time I didn't chant with her and my grandparents, the last ten seconds of a year.

"Six! Five!"

But looking around, I knew I was not alone. I had a family now. My uncle, Ronald Weasley. His family, who was becoming my own. I even earned an annoying cousin, Francois.

"Four! Three!"

Luna was next to Uncle, happily exclaiming the numbers. Ginny was holding Neville's hand and leaning against him as they stood with the others. Fred and George were jumping around, spilling their drinks, but were too happy to notice. Percy had a small smile on his lips. Bill and Fleur were standing together, near Mr and Mrs Weasley, looking calm but their eyes sparkled with happiness. Charlie was watching the twins and laughing as he tried to shout the seconds.

"Two!"

Looking up at Uncle, I felt proud to have him as my guardian. "Happy New Year, Uncle Ron!" I exclaimed as the others shouted and jumped wildly around.

Uncle Ron looked even happier. "Happy New Year, John!" he exclaimed, setting his cup aside and picking me up. I let my own cup fall as I hugged him tightly. I didn't cry, I was too happy. And I knew my mother was happy for me.

Notes: Yay! John is finally starting to loosen up. Go, John!
I'm aware that the celebrations must be different. I'm Argentinian, so we're somewhat like the French, Spanish and/or Italians when it comes to New Year's Eve.
We have a twelve-wish tradition here, but it seemed a bit too much, so I stuck with one.
The whole thing was also based on what I used to see when I was little. Our family get-together was loud, we spent a lot of time eating, and adults talked non-stop (and I always listened closely, unlike my cousins. :P)
Anyway, I hope you enjoyed this. I had a few problems with the "I wish" parts, since I never really listened to the rules of speech in my English classes. :P

Notes: Another lengthy chapter. There are tiny glimpses about Harry's disappearance and something most of you wanted to know about Ron and Luna's past.

Although it'd be cute (and maybe funny) if John had a crush on Luna, the answer is no. She's just the first female "stranger" that doesn't overwhelm him.

Chapter Twelve - The Departure

I got to spend the next day with Uncle Ron, at the Leaky Cauldron. The landlord, Tom, let me explore the place, and even help my uncle in the kitchens. The ad for the job had been taken down two days before, because Uncle Ron had really impressed Tom.

However, something caught my attention. It seemed that the customers were very aware of me. They talked amongst themselves, and some even pointed at me, when I passed by. I managed to find a copy of the Daily Prophet, and found out what it was about. It read:

Our Savior's Son? by Rita Skeeter.

As everyone knows, Harry Potter disappeared eight years ago, after the end of the Second War. A month later, one of his best friends, Muggle-born Hermione Granger, also disappeared. Ronald Weasley, the last one of the famous Golden Trio, was left on his own. Most of us can remember his pitiful nights of drunkeness, shouting in Diagon Alley.

Fortunately, for his family, the youngest Weasley man apparently seems to have given up on his drinking habits. He now has to take care of a little boy: John Granger. As most of you can sadly remember from last week's news, Hermione Granger died in a Muggle car accident on Christmas night, leaving behind her only son.

It is my theory that this boy is the son of Harry Potter. You can see it in his eyes and face. He looks exactly like his father in his young days. This doesn't surprise this reporter, since she has witnessed the relationship between Harry Potter and Hermione Granger in their fourth year at Hogwarts, just before our hero claimed that You-Know-Who was back.

The question is, why didn't we know about this boy before? Does Harry Potter know he has a son? Is that why he left? Did our hero truly abandon a pregnant woman? Where is Harry Potter? Why hasn't the Ministry of Magic found him? Is he dead? We can only speculate, and hope that he is well, and that he will return to take care of his son, since leaving little John in Ronald Weasley's hands does not look promising for the young lad.

I felt angry at those horrible accusations to both my father and my uncle. I didn't care if Uncle Ron had had problems with alcohol. He was a nice man, and he was responsible enough. He didn't even drink cinder the night before.

I went to the kitchens with the newspaper and gave it to him. When he finished reading the article, he looked upset but he also looked at me warily. "What do you think about this, John?" he asked me.

"I think I hate that Skeeter woman," I said indignantly. "I think you're the best uncle in the world. And my father really didn't know my mother was pregnant, she told me so."

Uncle Ron nodded slowly, and folded the newspaper. "Ignore this woman, John," he told me after a few moments of silence. "She has always been one to twist facts or come up with ridiculous stories. She gave your mum and dad a hard time when we were in school."

I sighed and nodded, taking the Daily Prophet back to an empty table, so anyone else could read it.

We had been at the Leaky Cauldron for three hours, when Luna came to see us. "Luna!" I exclaimed excitedly, as I hugged her. She chuckled softly and patted my head.

"Hello, John," she said calmly.

"Uncle Ron is already working a lot," I said as she helped me sit at the counter. The chairs were too high for me to even climb. "And I helped him."

"I'm sure you did," Luna said merrily.

As if he had sensed her presence, Uncle Ron came out of the kitchen to greet her. He was slightly sweaty and smelled of food. "Hi, Luna!" he said, grinning goofily. "Came to see the man in action?"

I snickered and buried my face in my hands, feeling slightly embarrassed by his blunt question. But Luna seemed to have taken it seriously and nodded. "Of course!" she said, smiling.

Uncle Ron blushed and cleared his throat. "Well, what do you want to eat - for lunch?" he stammered, looking at both of us. I didn't understand his quick correction, but Luna's smile widened, and she looked very amused.

"Oh, I don't know, Ronald. Surprise me," she said.

He nodded, embarrassed, and turned to me. "What about you, John?"

"Beef and mashed potatoes!" I said, eager to eat that. With a chuckle, Uncle Ron went back into the kitchen, to work on our food.

When he returned, the three of us sat at an empty table, to eat comfortably. There weren't too many people, and Tom had let Uncle Ron take a break. While he and Luna talked about things I really wasn't interested in hearing, I looked around.

A woman, who seemed to be in her late fifties, walked into the Leaky Cauldron. Her hair was a mix of golden blonde and white, very curly but weak looking. She had jeweled spectacles, and dressed elegantly. Some people turned to look at her and smile, others scowled at her. Amongst those were Uncle Ron and Luna.

"Who is she?" I asked curiously.

"That's Rita Skeeter," he whispered, and I understood then why he had glared at her. She was the woman who said those horrible things about my father, my mother and my uncle.

I turned back to see where she was heading, and almost groaned when she seemed to have spotted me, since she was already walking towards us. "Why, isn't this little John Granger?" she asked in a fake-surprised tone.

Uncle Ron growled, and Luna actually glared at the woman. I never thought I'd see her angry at anyone. "Skeeter," she said in a cold tone. "Is there something that you need?"

The older woman didn't even flinch. "I've actually come to see little John here," she motioned over me with a dismissive gesture. "I wanted to know more about your mother. You know, John, she and I were very good friends," she said, with a sickeningly sweet smile.

Uncle Ron stood up abruptly, the fork and knife loudly clashing against the plate, and the chair nearly falling over. "Get away from him, Skeeter. As John's guardian, I am ordering you to keep away from him," he said hoarsely. People turned their heads, watching the scene with morbid interest.

Skeeter actually grinned, eyeing his glass, which had cold water. "Back to your drinking habits, Ron Weasley? Is that why you're so angry?"

Luna also stood up, albeit more quietly. "Leave us alone, Skeeter."

"And back to your old girlfriend, I see," the old woman said, her fake cheerful exterior never faltering. "I wonder, Weasley, if you'll ruin your relationship with Miss Lovegood again."

Uncle Ron nearly jumped at her, and for a moment, I thought not even Luna would stop him. Tom quickly came to intervene, grabbing Skeeter by her arm and dragging her out of the Leaky Cauldron, seemingly not caring if she was a woman. "And don't come back here!" he shouted after her, closing the door on her face.

Luna was still clutching Uncle Ron's arm, as he stood rigidly, with his eyes closed, trying to calm down. As I opened my mouth and the words were being said, I wondered if either my mother or my father were prone to asking embarrassing things. "You two were a couple before?"

Both of the young adults before me blushed, sitting down again and chuckling. "Um, yeah," Uncle Ron said after a while. He smiled timidly at Luna, and then looked at me. "Well, it was my fault it didn't work out... at that time," he explained.

Luna sighed, but didn't object. "Fortunately, our breakup wasn't... argumentative. We still stayed good friends. Though... for a few years we didn't see each other," she said, looking back at my uncle with a sad expression.

He reached over the table and took her hand in his. I blushed, feeling a bit out of place. But then something came to my mind as I remembered Skeeter's words. "So, Uncle Ron, if you don't mind me asking..." I stammered a bit. "Why did you... um, drink?"

Uncle Ron sighed, and rubbed his face with his hand. "Well, I don't need to tell you that taking too much of anything can be bad for your health," he said awkwardly. I nodded. While I wasn't experienced in that particular situation, my mother had explained to me about addictions of any type. Mostly to recognize any dangerous strangers, and to treat those who seemed to want to change, with respect. "At the time your dad had saved us all, I had a wonderful girlfriend, and my family didn't suffer any loss, despite the close calls... We were all happy.

"Harry seemed fine for a couple of weeks," he said with a sigh. He looked around, as if to verify that no one like Skeeter could overhear. "He had plans, your father. He made me promise not to tell anyone, but... he wanted to marry your mother."

I frowned in confusion. "So, why did he leave?"

Uncle Ron shrugged and shook his head. "I don't know. He spent those weeks coming and going, making plans... Then one day, he seemed to change completely. He seemed depressed, but he wouldn't tell me or even Hermione what had happened. The next day, he was gone.

"Anyway," he continued, and I was reminded of the original topic. "Your mother, and the rest of us, took it very badly. He hadn't left a note or anything. Then, one day, she left too. Fortunately, she was a bit more thoughtful, but she didn't let us know where she had gone to.

"They had been my best friends, both of them," he said sadly, looking hurt. "I felt betrayed, I turned my back on those who loved me." At this, he glanced at Luna, for a moment. "I hurt myself and them, I did very stupid things. Bottom line, I did it out of self-pity."

I didn't know what to say to him. Part of me felt disappointed, but another part of me had already put together all the pieces that told me something like that had happened. Mother let me watch too many movies based on real life events, I thought. Most of those movies involved some sort of American courtroom, and family issues.

"John," I heard Uncle Ron saying, as he started gathering our plates in a pile. "Remember your wish from last night?" he asked, his expression was unreadable. I nodded. He leaned over the table, so Luna and I did the same, as he whispered. "I've been talking to Dad and my brother Percy... We're unofficially opening an investigation."

"About what?" I asked, almost hopeful.

He smiled slightly. "We're going to find your father."

Notes: It seems for every word I look at the translator, I find myself going off-topic as I navigate through references and synonyms. I had also gotten quite obsessed with a 50-chaptered story (Keeping A Promise, on PKorg), so I didn't have too much time on the last two days.

Well! It seems our "heroes" will go Harry-hunting sometime soon! I must say, "about damn time!"

Originally, Arthur and Percy weren't going to be involved, but it would seem unlikely for our trio to do much without some guidance. As much as I love Luna and Ron, they're quite lost by themselves (in this particular case.)

Chapter Thirteen - The Relatives

A week later, Uncle Ron had two backpacks ready with some basic clothes for each of us. He also brought food from the Leaky Cauldron, and stored it in a special basket.

The Burrow was quiet and oddly bathed in bright sunlight. It was the perfect day to leave for a trip, it seemed. We would return much later, or maybe in a few days, so my books and toys would remain in my room.

Mrs Weasley wasn't happy about our upcoming adventure, but Uncle Ron and I both told her we would return to let her know about any progress.

As we were leaving that morning, at nine o' clock, she stomped down the stairs. "Ronald! Ronald, you're not dragging that child out of this house without my permission!" she exclaimed. We both stared at her in surprise and disbelief. "You can go alone if you want, but Johnny stays with me!"

"We aren't discussing this anymore. Luna is coming with us, anyway. If you don't trust me, fine. But you know she will take good care of him," Uncle Ron said, trying to reason with her so we could leave peacefully.

"If I don't trust you, what makes you think I'll trust her?" she snapped.

"What the hell is wrong with you? Why do you do this?" Uncle Ron yelled, red in the face with anger. "Do you enjoy making my life miserable?"

Mrs Weasley glared at her son. "I'm concerned about Johnny's well-being! I know you'll ruin this ridiculous expedition." As Uncle Ron was starting to protest, she shut her eyes tightly. "Don't you understand that you can't do these things? What makes you think you'll find Harry when no one else has been able to do that? Why do you get Johnny's hopes up? You'll just end up disappointing him! Just like you've disappointed me!"

My uncle stopped abruptly, anger quickly turning into bewilderment. Before he could respond, another voice startled us all. "If anyone can find Harry, it's Ronald," a soft voice said. Luna was standing by the door, looking at us with a small smile. "I believe he can do it."

"Me too," I said confidently, looking at Mrs Weasley. "Uncle Ron can do this."

The older woman sighed and shook her head, before going back upstairs. After a few moments of silence, Uncle Ron cleared his throat. "Thanks, both of you," he said.

"It's the truth, Ronald," Luna said, as she picked up a small backpack from the floor, next to her. "Now, let's go."

We headed outside, where a small old fashioned car was waiting for us. It was severely beaten up, but still seemed to work. "Took me and Hagrid a couple of days to find it, and then we had to clean it up," Uncle Ron muttered. "Since we don't have enough money to buy a new car, I went to the Forbidden Forest to find my Dad's old Ford Anglia. Your father and I lost it at the start of our second year," he explained sheepishly. "Headmistress McGonagall and Professor Flitwick helped me to make sure it doesn't do anything funny."

The three of us got in the car. I was in the back, with our belongings, while Uncle Ron sat at the driver's seat and Luna by his side. Something fluffy jumped through the window, and Uncle Ron shouted in surprise. The thing moved quickly and jumped beside me. It was Crookshanks. He looked at me as if feeling betrayed that I almost left him behind. "I suppose he can come too," my uncle muttered.

"Where are we going first?" Luna asked when we started moving.

"Well, since we've got everything... Let's start gathering information, shall we?" Uncle Ron said. "I reckon we can talk to those horrible people and see if they know something." I wondered who he was talking about, but didn't ask. "I hope they don't make a scene..."

I still didn't feel completely safe in a car, but I hoped since it was a magical vehicle it would be safer than a normal car. A couple of hours later, we were stopping in front of a house. The neighbor seemed completely Muggle, but much duller than where I used to live.

"Where are we?" I asked curiously.

"This is Little Whinging, your father grew up here," Uncle Ron said awkwardly.

We got out of the car (though I told Crookshanks to wait for us there) and walked up to the front door of a house that looked just like the rest. My uncle knocked at the door with a little too much force. A large man answered seconds later. He had blond hair and blue eyes. The man squinted at Uncle Ron, as if he was trying to remember something. "Do I know you?"

"Yes, I'm Ronald Weasley, a friend of Harry Potter," Uncle said quickly. That was all he could say before the man had slammed the door shut. "Oh, this is going to be a long day..." he muttered, as he started knocking at the door again. "I need to talk to you about something! Unless you want all the other people to hear me!"

The man quickly opened the door and stepped aside. "Quick! Come in, before anyone sees you!" he snapped. We entered the house, which seemed unnaturally clean. The man closed the door again, and walked into a medium-sized living room. "What do you want?"

"Dudley, right?" Uncle Ron asked. The man nodded, as he motioned for us to sit. "Listen, I need to ask you about Harry..."

Dudley winced at the mention of my father's name. "I haven't seen him in the last nine years," he said coldly.

"Your parents surely have spoken to him, right?" Uncle Ron asked persistently.

"I certainly saw him a year later," said a woman, coming down the stairs. She seemed to be in her fifties or late forties. "He told me he had defeated the monster who murdered Lily and her husband." Uncle Ron and Luna seemed shocked to see her there.

"Did he say anything else, Mrs Dursley?" Luna asked.

Mrs Dursley nodded, and was going to say something, when she saw me. She gasped. "Who is that boy?" she asked shakily.

"He's John... Harry's son," Uncle Ron said.

"He didn't tell me he was abandoning a child," the woman said bitterly.

"He didn't know he had one," my uncle retorted. "We're trying to find Harry, so if you could help us..."

Mrs Dursley nodded, as she walked into the room and sat next to Dudley. "After he told me that, I asked where he'd go. He seemed surprised I even asked," she chuckled bitterly at the memory. "He said something about visiting his parents' graves, but didn't say much more. He left after that, and never came back." The woman actually looked sad, and even wiped a single tear from her eye. "He seemed very tired," she added as an afterthought.

Uncle Ron nodded quickly, and stood up. "Well... thanks for your time, Mrs Dursley." Luna nodded, also standing up.

"You look much like your father," Mrs Dursley said, looking straight at me. "You even have Lily's eyes." I squirmed under her gaze, feeling a bit uncomfortable. "Well, then," she said, also standing up. "I hope you find him."

Luna and Uncle Ron seemed taken aback, again, but decided it was enough of staying around. We soon were getting into the car again. "Well, that was unexpected," he said as we drove off.

"Why? Who are those people?" I asked.

Uncle Ron sighed. "Petunia Dursley was Lily Potter's sister," he said. My eyes widened as I understood that woman and I were related. "Did Hermione tell you what happened to your father's parents?"

I nodded. "Only last year, she told me a dark wizard killed them when he was a baby."

"Well, he was sent to that house after that. He grew up there, as I told you before. But they weren't exactly nice to him. You see, from what your father told me, Petunia was jealous of Lily, because of the attention their parents gave to your grandmother. And she's always been quite rude towards my family after Fred and George did something to Dudley, your father's cousin."

That explained why Uncle Ron wasn't expecting such a polite conversation. Actually, it made me wonder just what had happened to those two.

"Where are we going now?" I asked, after a long pause.

Uncle Ron glanced at Luna, and then answered. "To Godric's Hollow."

Notes: Wow. In Ron's words: That was unexpected. Sorry about the short chapter, and the apparent dullness (intensified by the Dursleys). I'm a bit nervous because of my upcoming exams and my lack of studying...
Something important I should say about their next destination... According to the Lexicon, Godric's Hollow might be in Wales. Now, seeing as I have no idea about the UK and distances (aside from looking at that map they have in the site), I'll just have to come up with timings by myself. All I can say is that they'll be traveling as Muggles, so expect delays and such things.

Chapter Fourteen - The Housekeeper

It was a rather long trip, with some short stops to eat and take care of a few Nature calls. Uncle Ron and Luna talked most of the time, jumping from one topic to another. They told me about their time at Hogwarts, things that my mother had not told me, either from embarrassment or because the situations were mostly life-threatening.

I petted Crookshanks until my hands felt numb. I knew my mum's cat was demanding, but I didn't think it was that bad! Besides, after spending most of the day in a car, without much to do, a person starts feeling rather restless. In my case, I felt ready to run all the way to Godric's Hollow by myself.

"Do you think anyone will be able to help us?" Luna asked, as the car slowed down. I was snapped out of my thoughts just then, as I looked around, and noticed we had entered in a relative small city. The sun was nearly hidden behind the horizon, so it must have been a bit later than six o' clock.

"Last time we were here, there was a housekeeper. A Muggle," Uncle Ron told her. I wasn't sure what he meant when he said 'we.' "Since he still was being paid, he never had stopped looking after the house," he continued. "He's probably still around. Very reliable, the old man."

The car stopped twenty minutes later in a remote area of the village. The houses were separated by large patches of grass and trees, but still visible and near each other. We were in front of a house, which looked pretty much taken from a movie of the 80's.

Uncle Ron turned off the engine and leaned back in his seat. "Wait here, I'll go see if Mr Aedes is at home," he said as he opened the door and exited the car. He had left the lights on, since the house wasn't illuminated, and it was almost night outside. The sky was slowly turning from orange and brown to dark blue.

It didn't take too long for my uncle to return. He wasn't alone though. An old man, quite short and wide, was right behind him. The man had a few gray hairs at the sides and back of his head, and a white mustache. "Oh! Look at him!" the man exclaimed as he noticed me. "That Harry's son?"

My uncle nodded and opened the door for me. "Come, Mr Aedes will show you the house," he said. I nodded and got out of the car. "John, meet Mr Aedes, housekeeper of the Potter residence."

Mr Aedes was watching me with fascination, but it wasn't like the magical people in Diagon Alley. No, this was more sincere and less obsessive. It was of a plain housekeeper that was seeing the third generation of a family with a history of disappearing or dieing mysteriously. I remembered Uncle Ron had said the man was a Muggle. "Hello, there, John," the man said

"Hello, Mr Aedes," I said politely. Luna got out of the car just then, to greet the man. The three adults began talking about the conditions of the house and how the village was being modernized. I could tell Uncle Ron and Luna didn't understand a thing of what the man was saying, but they nodded and agreed to his every word.

I looked around the front lawn until they decided it was time to go inside. The four of us, plus Crookshanks, who didn't want to be left behind, entered the house. The old man quickly turned the lights on, and I was surprised at how Muggle the house was. But then again, Mr Aedes had apparently been the housekeeper since that dark wizard's first fall. It wouldn't do to have a Muggle housekeeper in a magical building...

"As you can remember, my wife and I decided to rebuild what was destroyed after that explosion," Mr Aedes was explaining to my uncle. "A few years ago, our daughter came back from London and helped us with some additional changes. She's an architect, so the changes were done professionally."

It was true. The house looked quite modern inside, but still simple. It looked like an artwork. As we looked around the house, I noticed some pictures in my grandparents' bedroom. A very young couple holding a baby. The man was slightly taller than the woman. He had black messy hair and brown eyes. She had dark red hair and green eyes. Like my own. I had my grandmother's eyes, just like Petunia had told me.

"Those are James and Lily, your grandparents," Uncle Ron said softly. "And that brat is your father," he added amusedly. I couldn't help grinning. It seemed odd to see my father as a baby.

There were other pictures. One of the pictures that caught my attention had my grandfather and three other young men. They all looked rather cheerful...

"That's Sirius Black, he Harry's godfather," Uncle Ron explained. "Remus Lupin, and... Peter Pettigrew," the last person's name was said in an irritated tone. I looked up to see my uncle glaring at the picture. Something bad seemed to involve that chubby man.

I didn't ask just then, because Luna put a hand on Uncle Ron's arm. He seemed to snap out of his thoughts and looked away from the picture. "Why don't you ask him now, Ronald?" she said in a quiet voice. He nodded and turned to Mr Aedes.

"Sir, I was wondering when was the last time you saw Harry," my uncle asked.

Mr Aedes stopped looking around and raised his eyebrows. He looked at me and then at the other two adults. "Well," he said uneasily. "He was here eight years ago. He told me to keep looking after the house, to use it if I needed to, and he left me with a big amount of money."

"Do you know where he went?" Luna asked.

The old man sighed heavily and ran a hand over his bald head. "He told me not to say anything..." he said nervously. He glanced at me once again. "Alright, I'll tell you because I know you Ronald, and because I don't want John not knowing where his father is... That is, if he's still there." He sighed again and walked out of the room. "Come with me, I'll tell you on the way."

"On the way to where?" Uncle Ron asked curiously, as we followed Mr Aedes.

"To where James and Lily are," the man replied.

Notes: Heh, I'm afraid I have some bad news. I had two exams, and I only passed one. I get to take it again in April, so next week I'll start studying for it. And this week, my father is visiting for a few days (he lives in the States), so I'll probably hang around with him.
That taken care of, I hope you like this chapter. Our little trio is getting more clues and John is learning more about the Potter lineage.

Chapter Fifteen - The Graves

We stopped far in the back of the property. The backyard was mostly an open field, there were no fences or delimiters, but everyone seemed to know where one's land ended and where the neighbor's started. However, my grandparents' land was covered by thick and tall trees. It almost seemed creepy with the darkness of the night. Even with the lights of the back of the house turned on, bright white, the place seemed haunted.

We walked towards the far end of the property, which was completely hidden by the wild trees. "Harry told me to let the trees cover this place, kind of like a sanctuary," Mr Aedes explained.

There were two small, improvised tombstones. My grandparents' graves. James and Lily Potter.

"Did he tell you where he was going?" Uncle Ron asked, a bit impatiently.

Mr Aedes sighed. "He told me was inspecting all his properties before leaving to some grim old place," he said.

"Grimmauld Place," my uncle muttered. "We went there, we never found him. That house is empty."

The old man shook his head. "He wouldn't stay there, that's for sure. He said he had discovered a little land that belonged to his grandfather, James' father. But he didn't say where it was." Then, he frowned thoughtfully. "Maybe that friend of James, Lupin, was it? Yes, maybe he knows where that land is."

Uncle Ron nodded. "Thanks a lot, Mr Aedes. You've been a great help." Luna nodded in agreement.

"Thank you, Mr Aedes," I said, as well.

The man smiled at me. "I hope you find him, little one."

We returned to the car with new hope. It was very late, so Uncle Ron decided we would stay at a hotel that he had spotted downtown. Like everything in the tiny city, it was rather small, with only eight rooms. We rented one for the night.

The room had two small beds and a long couch. My uncle automatically went to the couch, while Luna and I got the beds. We were too tired to care where we would sleep. We ate some sandwiches from the bottomless basket, and fell asleep as soon as our heads hit the pillows.

Notes: Another short chapter, I know. But the chapters are thematic, thus some are longer than others. We'll see something very interesting in the next chapter!
By the way, I might take the last exam in July, so I'll have some more time for this story, until the last weeks of May or something.

Chapter Sixteen - The Owl

We were on the road again. Our destination was unknown to me, but it was a very long trip, much longer than the previous day. I didn't know how someone could drive so much with so little sleep. I was actually getting worried about the whole situation, since my mother's death had been because of a car crash...

However, Luna had assured me that the car, being magical and despite its appearance, had some charms that prevented any fatal accident. That made me feel a little calmer.

The sun was almost setting, when Uncle Ron stopped the car abruptly. Both Luna and I looked at him alarmed, but he simply jumped off the car and hurried to the field to our right. "Ronald! What's wrong?" Luna exclaimed, as she ran after him.

Crookshanks and I remained in the car, which was barely off the road. However, in all the hours we drove, we hadn't seen any cars, so it wasn't a dangerous situation. My uncle seemed to have spotted an owl flying in our direction. A white owl, which landed right on his arm. "Hedwig," I whispered incredulously.

Of course, my mother had told me about my father's owl. It was very smart, proud, and unique.

My uncle and Luna returned to the car, the owl still on his left arm. He was expressionless, but Luna seemed hopeful. Once they were back in the car, the owl fluttered its wings, jumping next to me. It looked at me with its amber eyes, studying me as I patted its head. After a few moments, it hooted and carefully nibbled at my fingers.

"She's Hedwig, isn't she?" I asked, turning to look at my uncle. He had been staring at me while I was interacting with the owl. He simply nodded. "Did she bring any message?"

"No, she didn't," he said, his tone was slightly defeated. He turned around, facing the road ahead.

Slowly, we were back on the road.

"It's almost like a mystery novel," I mused, sharing my thoughts with my parents' pets. "Every lead takes us somewhere else, every place has its story... Every story is unexpected..." I looked at Hedwig, almost fearfully. "If you're a new clue, what does it mean? Is my father nearby? Have you been wandering alone for years? Is he dead? Is he already with my mother?"

Hedwig hooted softly in reply, and I wished I could understand her...

Our ride came to an end when Uncle Ron stopped at a small motel in the middle of nowhere. We shared a small room, which was slightly better than the previous one. This one had two large beds.

Luna took one, while my uncle and I had to share another one. Hedwig seemed to be more interested in going out hunting, while Crookshanks slept at my feet.

When we got up the next morning, Hedwig was waiting for us on top of the old car. She hooted at us, as if complaining for not letting a window open for her, and then flew to me. If I hadn't raised my arm, she'd probably have landed on my head or shoulder... Very bossy animal.

We spent most of the morning on the road, and after having lunch in the car, we entered a small forest, where my uncle said Remus Lupin lived. From there, in less than an hour we found ourselves in front of a small hut. It was simple, hidden away in the dark forest.

I got out of the car after my parents' pets did, since they seemed desperate to get out of the small vehicle. "Crookshanks, Hedwig," I said, and both animals turned to look at me. If I hadn't been used to the intelligence of my mother's cat, I would have been freaked out by their attentive stares. "Don't wander too far, we might not stay here for too long." A meow and a hoot were my replies, as the animals dashed away from me.

I realized that my uncle and Luna were already at the front door, waiting for someone to answer. I quickly made my way over to them, just as the door opened. "Ron," I heard a man say. "You just missed him."

Another lead, another story...

Notes: Woot! Know this, if I post this chapter, it means the next one is already finished. I want to avoid so many delays, especially after such short chapters. :)

Edit: Er, took me a month to actually start writing (in general), after finishing high school in May. I'm so lazy. I have it all finished, in my head, but writing it means I have to do something... :P I wish there was something I could plug to my brain, and it would write my stories in a second. :P Now that is the future!

Chapter Seventeen - The Marauder

Uncle Ron, Luna, and I sat on a large couch, in the living room of Remus Lupin's hut. Said man sat across from us, on a smaller couch. He stared at me sadly. He seemed very troubled and aged. If anyone asked me, I would have said he was in his middle fifties.

"Care to explain what he was doing here?" my uncle asked irritably, breaking the uncomfortable silence. "Has he been living here all this time?"

Lupin frowned. "No, he wasn't," he asnwered, tone stern and hurt. "Don't forget I was one of the many who searched for him," he said. "He came to... visit. He's actually trying to set things right..."

Uncle Ron snorted. "How long ago did he leave?"

"A couple of hours... And no, he didn't tell me where he was going," Lupin said quickly.

"Did he say where he had been?" I asked, almost shrinking against Luna when everyone turned to look at me.

My grandfather's friend shook his head and sighed. "He said he had things to do, and that he wasn't sure if he'd come back."

I looked at my uncle, and realized he was not in a good mood. I knew why, and I almost felt guilty for not being angry at my father for not finding me. But, at the same time, all these situations were making me feel dreadful... Something had to be happening, all the places, all the clues, and my father going back and forth... What was going on?

"Well, thanks for your help, Lupin," my uncle said, getting up. "I'm guessing we'll have to figure out where he went."

"We could ask Hedwig to fly to Harry," Luna said, also standing. With a sigh I jumped off the couch.

Lupin looked up at her quizzically. "You've seen her?"

"Yeah, she's with us, we found her on our way here," Uncle Ron said casually. "She seems to like John."

Lupin smiled, almost sadly. "That wouldn't be a surprise," he said softly. However neither my uncle or Luna seemed to notice, since they were already heading towards the door.

We were back on the road in a matter of minutes. Uncle Ron was driving aimlessly, scowling. Luna was calm, like always, and said nothing. We had asked Hedwig to fly to my father, but she didn't want to. My father was somewhere, and we couldn't get to him...

"Look, this is what we are going to do," Uncle Ron started. He seemed tired, defeated. But, at the same time, it seemed like he was just taking a deep breath, to keep moving on. "We're staying at the Leaky Cauldron. If Harry's been going around, he might also go to Gringotts, or some other place like that."

Luna nodded, and I did my best to hide my disappointment. Next to me, Hedwig nibbled at my hand, softly. Crookshanks looked at me through a half-opened eye, and then went back to his sleep.

It was nearly night when we arrived to the Leaky Cauldron. Tom quickly gave us a medium sized room, and we prepared to go to sleep. But we never quite got to even discuss where each of us were going to sleep (the room had a large bed and a couch.)

There was a loud knock on the door, and a familiar voice called out for us.

"Ronald Weasley!" came the muffled female voice. "Open up! In the name of the Ministry of Magic, we're here to place you under arrest!"

Both Luna and my uncle - and myself, of course - were too stunned to do anything. The door opened violently, and two Aurors entered the room. I knew who they were...

Chapter Eighteen - The Aurors

Aurors Tonks and Longbottom - Neville - were looking at my uncle. But they didn't seem mad or anything like that. Instead, they seemed scared. "Ron, you've got to get out of here," Neville said quickly, in a rushed whisper.

My uncle frowned. "What's going on? What's this nonsense about arresting me?"

Both Aurors looked at each other, and then at us, guiltily. "While we won't arrest you, it is true that the Ministry wants you. They've got Aurors looking for you three all over Britain!"

It was Luna's turn to frown. "Why is that?"

Again, they lowered their gazes. "Someone alerted the Ministry. They said you kidnapped John," Auror Tonks said. "We know it's not true, but... given your... er, past..." she avoided my uncle's angry glare. "The Ministry is obviously trying to do what's best for John-"

"What do they know?!" Uncle Ron bellowed, ignoring the Aurors' gestures to keep his voice down. "How do they know what's best for him? Who was the idiot that went to the Ministry? Who was it? It was Skeeter, wasn't she?"

Neville clenched his fists, and seemed too embarrassed or afraid to look at my uncle, Luna, or even me. "No. It wasn't Skeeter. It was -"

"Auror Tonks! Auror Longbottom!" came a shout from somewhere outside the room. "Did you find them?"

"Quick! Get out of here!" Auror Tonks hissed, closing the door before the other Auror would see us. "Through the window! Remus told me about your visit. Go talk to Bill, he's at the twins' shop. They have information about Harry..."

My uncle nodded. "Thanks. Both of you," he said, as Luna went through the window first. Then, it was my turn. He came last.

Before we knew it, we were hurrying through the almost empty and dark Diagon Alley, Crookshanks scurrying several feet ahead, and Hedwig flying high above. Weasleys' Wizard Wheezes was not too far from the inn. There was some light inside, but it was obviously closed to the public.

However, when we approached, one of the twins quickly opened the door and let us through. "We've been looking all over for you three!" he said, though not as worriedly as one would expect.

"Yeah, well... We were busy," my uncle muttered as we were ushered to the back of the shop. I nearly tripped five times, because I was getting distracted, staring at all the shiny and colorful things that the twins sold. But, since I wasn't too sure what each thing did, I didn't touch anything.

The twin must've seen my face, because he snorted and patted my head. "Don't worry, John!" he said cheerfully. "When this is all over, Fred and I will let you try one of each!"

I smiled, mostly out of politeness. I wasn't sure if he was pulling my leg or if he meant it. Uncle Ron coughed, but it sounded more like a snort. Luna just smiled.

"Well, well!" Fred said, coming from a door behind the counter. It probably led to their rooms or something like that. "Our famous fugitives!" He and George laughed heartily, as if it were okay that we were being chased by the Ministry.

Bill and Fleur also emerged from the back of the store. "Ron, Luna, John," the oldest of the Weasley brothers greeted us. "One of the goblins sent me an owl today, about Harry. He's been making several withdrawals from his vault, ever since... December, last year." He looked at me in concern, and then back to my uncle.

One of the twins had apparently gone back to the front of the store, and then came back. He wasn't as cheerful as before. "Er, we've got company," he informed us. "You should probably leave."

Uncle Ron groaned. "Bloody hell," he muttered. Fleur looked at him in disapproval, but he didn't notice. "Come on, then." He led me and Luna through the same door from where Bill and Fleur had come from. "We could go to the Burrow..."

"No!" the others exclaimed. Luna and I were as startled as my uncle. "Not to the Burrow," Bill said, looking down.

Uncle Ron frowned. "Why not?"

When no one tried to explain, Fleur sighed and spoke for the first time. "Because it was Molly who alerted the Ministry."

Notes: Heh, I can already see the hate mail for poor Molly. Or me. :P

Chapter Nineteen - The Betrayal

We were back on the road, and it was dawn. We hadn't slept at all. Luna and I kept awake so that Uncle Ron wouldn't fall asleep on the wheel. That reason alone was enough to keep me alert. I was still weary of cars.

I felt angry, furious, for the first time in my young life. I couldn't believe that Mrs Weasley had done such thing. It was unbelievable. It hurt. And I knew my uncle felt the same, only worse. He was her son, she was supposed to support him, to trust him... Instead, she was the reason we were being hunted down like criminals.

Luna had been quiet, a hand on my uncle's arm was all she could do, I suppose. She understood him, understood that he couldn't talk. Instead of saying something, knowing fully well that he'd get upset, she just let him know that she was there.

It reminded me of my mother, of how she used to wait for me to talk, whenever I was angry at something. Granted, I didn't have my uncle's temper or problems, but Mum took me seriously. If something bothered me, she taught me that the best way to deal with it was with the help of someone else, thinking it over, maybe talking. Trying to see if it's worth it, or if it's something silly.

I felt drowsy, and I must've fallen asleep for a few seconds. For a moment, I saw myself, a bit older, laughing with Uncle Ron. Luna was there too, holding a small baby. We were all sitting on the ground, there was young green grass everywhere, the sky was light blue, there were no clouds to darken the day. The sun shone brightly above.

As quick as the image had formed in my mind, it was gone. I snapped out of the light dream, and reality sunk in.

All plans of looking for my father were put aside, of course. Uncle Ron had no intentions of giving me up. And I agreed with him. I didn't want to live with Mrs Weasley, not seeing my uncle or Luna.

One thing was sure, I had learnt something new that day. Betrayal hurts.

Notes: Short one, I know. Mostly filler. We're getting closer to the end, isn't that exciting?
:P I can't believe I'm actually going to finish this. *knocks on wood* Ahem...

Chapter Twenty - The Reminder

Uncle Ron parked the car on the side of the road, behind some tall shrubs. We couldn't go to an inn, there was a chance that the Muggles had been warned about us - in a way that didn't reveal anything of the magical world, of course. So we had no other choice but to sleep a bit in the car.

Luna chuckled, breaking the silence that fell upon us as my uncle turned off the engine. "Isn't this exciting? It's been years since I've had this kind of adventure."

Uncle Ron looked at her, a frown on his face. But then he slowly smiled, and shook his head. I couldn't help smiling myself. "Ha, she's always the optimist," he stated, looking at me. "If anyone has to do anything, now is the time." With that, he quickly left the car, and I realized I hadn't been able to use the loo when we arrived at the Leaky Cauldron, so I followed him.

We didn't get much sleep that night. A few hours later, the sun was out, and I've always had trouble sleeping with so much light. Luna was still sleeping when Uncle Ron turned on the engine, and we didn't wake her up.

Unlike the previous night, my uncle didn't look upset. Instead, he was smiling. He would look at Luna, or look up at me from the rear-view mirror. "Why are you so happy, Uncle Ron?" I asked, unable to help myself.

He chuckled. "Things could be worse, right? But we've got each other," he said. "Please, don't tell Luna I said such corny thing," he added in a conspirational whisper, and I sniggered.

"Too late," a soft voice said, and Luna stirred. "I heard that, Ronald."

Uncle Ron groaned, pretending to be bothered by the fact that Luna had discovered him saying something mushy. I laughed as she made cooing noises at my uncle, and at the fact that he was blushing brightly.

Something caught my attention while I was laughing. It was in the middle of the fields, not far from the road. It was completely black, it had long thin legs, a long neck and a horse-like head. And there were two large things on its body. I couldn't make out most of it, but I knew it couldn't be something normal. "What's that?" I asked, sounding more scared than I intended.

Luna looked over to the thing. "Oh," she said softly. "It was a Thestral." I saw Uncle Ron looking at me uncertainly from the mirror, but then quickly looked back ahead, to the road. Luna spent a while explaining me about the scary-looking animal.

"It's a reminder," I said much later, almost to myself. "A reminder of my mother and grandparents' deaths." Then I frowned, as I realized something. "Uncle Ron, could you see it?"

"No, John," Uncle Ron answered, a bit uneasily.

Then I looked over at Luna. "But you could," I stated. She just smiled.

"I saw my mother die, I was just a bit older than you. Terrible accident, really. She liked to experiment with spells and potions, something finally went very wrong," she explained briefly.

Her confession was rather stunning. While I had suspected that Luna's parents were not alive, I hadn't imagined that she had witnessed her mother's death, and that it hadn't been something peaceful, like a decease or other natural cause.

It also explained Luna's job at St. Mungo's, though.

We didn't speak for the rest of the trip.

Notes: I'm almost done! Of the thirty-two chapters that this story should be, I've done up to twenty-seven. :) Today I might finish it! This is exciting! I never did such long story, even if the chapters are drabble-like. :P

Chapter Twenty-One - The Persecution

I had fallen asleep sometime during that long trip to nowhere. I was dreaming of my last trip on a plane with my Mum, when I was woken up by the abrupt shaking of the car, and Uncle Ron's colorful vocabulary.

"Wake up, sleepy heads!" he exclaimed, as he grabbed the wheel with both hands.

I looked around and realized, much to my horror, that we were not on the road. In fact, we were not on the ground. We were flying!

Luna woke up, and groggily looked around. "What's going on, Ronald?" she asked, sounding much like a drunk person. In another situation, I would have laughed.

"We've got Aurors chasing us!" my uncle replied, his voice incredulous. "You are sleepy heads," he muttered. But his grin quickly was replaced by a scowl as he looked through the rear-view mirror, to the people on broomsticks following after us.

I watched on in awe, but had to quickly hold on to the front seats as Uncle Ron started doing sharp turns and other dangerous moves, trying to lose the wizards and witches. Luna, still not quite awake, mumbled a protest as she nearly ended up on top of my uncle.

"Luna, wake up!" he said, and I could tell he was trying not to laugh. I wondered how he could be amused in this kind of situation. With five or more people flying behind us, wands drawn out, and scowls on their faces.

"What are we going to do, Uncle Ron?" I asked, looking at Hedwig and Crookshanks, who seemed to be glaring at our chasers. Luna was finally waking up, rubbing her eyes and stretching.

My uncle shrugged. "I'm not sure," he admitted. "I'll just try to lose them."

That certainly didn't make me feel any better. But then again, it wasn't as if we had been expecting to be chased by the Ministry of Magic. And thinking on-the-fly wasn't one of my uncle's good points.

There was a loud explosion, and the car started falling quickly. I screamed in fear as I watched the ground getting closer. My uncle yelled something, and I felt Luna's hand on my mouth. "Calm down, John," she said urgently. "We're going to be okay." She removed her hand, but I caught it and held it tight.

The Aurors were surrounding us, and the car came to an eventual stop near the ground. Then, slowly, it descended completely, landing softly on the grass, in the middle of a field. We seemed to be in a large harvesting area, I couldn't see any Muggles or farms. Just lands.

"Come out of there, Ronald Weasley! Hand us over the child!" one man called. "If you do not comply, we will have no choice but to use our full force."

I looked at my uncle and Luna, and they both seemed to be thinking what to do. "We really can't do much, Ronald," she finally said, almost in a whisper. "We'll have to sort this out at the Ministry."

Uncle Ron scowled, but nodded. "They won't listen, though," he muttered, and sighed. Looking back at me, he smiled sadly. "I'll do my best, John. I promise."

I stifled back a sob, as I lunged myself at him, hugging him tightly. "I don't want anyone else to be my guardian!" I cried. He patted my head, trying to calm me down.

Without another word, we got out of the car. I let my parents' pets out, before I was grabbed forcefully by an Auror. Crookshanks hissed at them, his tail flicking from side to side, angrily. Hedwig hooted indignantly, pecked the Auror on the head, and flew away.

"Let's get these to the Ministry," one of the Aurors said, leading the group. It took two strong-looking Aurors to hold back my uncle, one to escort Luna, and another one was nearly dragging me. A fifth Auror shot a spell at Crookshanks, and he went stiff.

"No! That's my mother's cat!" I yelled angrily.

The Auror looked at me, a fake smile on his face. "It's okay, son," he said calmly. "I just made him fall asleep. I'll wake him up once I get a cage for him."

I glared at him, but said nothing.

Notes: Wow! Still more to come.
At those who wondered why the Ministry would even listen to Molly: In Muggle law, we have always seen that even if allegations are not true, Child Services sometimes take kids away from their assigned guardians/parents. It should be no different in the wizarding world, where laws are ignored or followed depending on the people (corruption).
For example, t seems as the law would be always "unfair" to a Weasley, compared to a Malfoy.

Chapter Twenty-Two - The Interrogation

We were taken to the Ministry of Magic by Apparition. It was much more uncomfortable than what I remembered. We arrived to a Muggle-looking neighborhood, and then went into a phone booth, which ended up being a lift that took us underground.

Uncle Ron had a scowl on his face, while Luna was frowning and glaring at the Aurors. I knew I looked as furious as I felt.

The place where we stood was a long corridor, with fireplaces lined up on both walls. At the end of the hall, there was a counter, then doors and more lifts.

They took us through a corridor, and then we were taken through three separate doors. I didn't see either of them for a while. But I got to see two Aurors. One was Auror Tonks, and the other one was a tall dark skinned man. "Hello, Mr Granger," he said, his voice deep. "I'm Auror Shacklebolt."

"I want to see my uncle," I said, glaring at the man.

"You'll see him later," he said. "Now we want you to answer some questions." I shrugged, and sat back in the chair. The room was small, with a table and three chairs. It looked a lot like a Muggle interrogation room. "What do you think of Ronald Weasley?"

"He's my guardian, my uncle, and he's the best person in the world," I replied, looking defiantly at the man. Behind him, Auror Tonks smiled. And it made me feel less angry that she was there, because I knew she was on my uncle's side.

Auror Shacklebolt nodded. "Has he ever made you drink something that you didn't like?" he asked awkwardly, as if not wanting to do so.

I frowned. "If you are asking me if he ever offered alcohol to me, then the answer is, obviously, no. I'm not stupid," I spat. "I wouldn't want Uncle Ron to be my guardian if he wasn't a good person!"

Both adults were looking at me in surprise, as if not expecting me to explode like I did.

Feeling brave, I hit the table with my fist. "And where's my mother's cat?" I demanded.

Notes: A tiny bit of humor, maybe not even noticeable. :P But since more angst is on the way...
Story status: I'm already at chapter 30. There are two more chapters in the list, but I'm not sure it fits with the end. I'll see, when the time comes.

Chapter Twenty-Three - The Recapture

Crookshanks and I were left alone in the interrogation room. True to the Auror's word, my mother's pet cat was fine. But he was a little restless, and he paced around the room, trying to get out. Looking around, I saw no cameras, or windows from which I could be seen. I wasn't sure how or if they would know if I decided to leave the room.

I became a little anxious as I looked at the door. I got up and grabbed the doorknob, but nothing happened. I twisted it, and the door opened. Still, no alarms went off. Crookshanks let out a loud meow and looked outside, then up at me, as if to tell me that the coast was clear.

We got out of the room quietly, and I was relieved to find the hall empty. I followed my mother's cat, and we ended up in the main hall, in a small corner where it was dark enough to hide from the Ministry workers. Near from where we were standing, there were several benches where people sat, waiting to be attended, probably.

I glared as I noticed Mrs Weasley was there, sitting impatiently. I was surprised to see many of the Weasleys sitting away from her. The twins, Ginny, Bill, his wife and Francois. They would look at Mrs Weasley with a frown from time to time.

A loud sound startled me, and several Aurors came running from the hall from where I had escaped. I pressed myself against the wall and hoped they couldn't see me. Crookshanks was nowhere to be seen. At some point, he had left me there.

"Where is that boy?" one of them asked irritably, looking around. The others split up, and started searching for me. Amongst them were Auror Tonks and Auror Shacklebolt.

Auror Tonks turned around, scanned the large hall, and spotted me. "There you are!" she said, hurrying towards me. I panicked, turned around, and dashed towards the corridor, to the interrogation rooms. "Hey, John! Stop!" I heard the young woman calling out for me.

I didn't want to get caught, they would place me with Mrs Weasley, or with someone else who wasn't my uncle. I didn't want that. I wanted Uncle Ron.

A pair of strong arms were wrapped around me, and I was lifted from the floor. I kicked as much as I could, but I couldn't hit whoever had caught me. "Stay still, Mr Granger," Auror Shacklebolt said sternly. "Gave us quite a fright."

"I want to see my uncle!" I exclaimed.

Just then, a door to our right opened, and two Aurors came out, escorting Uncle Ron. His hands were held by old-fashioned handcuffs, and he was still looking furious. When he saw me, his expression changed to one of worry. "John!"

"Uncle Ron!" I yelled, trying to escape from Auror Shacklebolt's restraining embrace. My uncle struggled against the two Aurors, and more had to come and help them, since he was starting to drag them along. "Uncle Ron!"

We were close enough, that when I stretched out my only free arm, and he stretched out both of his arms - due to his hands being bound - I nearly was able to grasp his hand. But the increase of Aurors struggling against him was too much, and we were separated again.

He was taken down the hall, and despite my calls, no one cared to listen to me. No one cared to allow me and my uncle to be together.

Notes: Wow, another scene I had in my mind when starting this story. :) This one is much better than the previous one, IMO. And, no, the Thestral scene wasn't really filler, even if it seemed pointless.

Chapter Twenty-Four - The Trial

I was taken to the same place where my uncle was, but someone had to cast a spell on me that didn't allow me to make a sound, because I kept screaming at them.

My uncle was bound to a chair, and was surrounded by wizards and witches of different ages. I was rather awed to see so many people.

"This trial," an old-looking wizard started, breaking the silence, "is to judge whether or not Mister Ronald Bilius Weasley can continue being Mister John Henry Granger's legal guardian." He sat down, and looked at my uncle critically. "Mr Weasley, you have a past of alcohol abuse, aggressive behavior, and a complete lack of respect for the authorities. You have a lot against you, and I will be honest with you, I doubt you'll get custody by the end of this trial."

An aged woman walked up and stood in front of my uncle, looking up at the others. She had dark red hair, with many white hairs predominating. "Mr Weasley is quite capable of taking care of himself, and of a child. He is a man who has been through a lot, but he is learning how to cope with it. He has shown that he is so determined to raise John Granger, that he has stopped consuming alcohol. He has gotten a job, and he has set up a goal. A goal which he could not fulfill due to his own mother's distrust. To her irrational fear."

"Isn't it true, though, that he attacked Miss Rita Skeeter?" another old man asked.

"He did not attack Rita Skeeter. He simply told her to remain away from his protégé. It is not against the law for a guardian to give such an order, if he feels the person threatens the child's safety," the woman retorted.

"How else has he improved?" a witch asked, looking at my uncle and then at me. From the look on her face, I could tell she was convinced that Uncle Ron was a good person. I smiled at that thought.

"He has restarted a stable relationship with a gentle witch," Uncle Ron's representative replied. "She is well suited to look after children, her job being Children Counseling."

"We are aware that this woman is same woman that left him several years ago because of his behavior and abuse of substance," the first old wizard said. "How do we know that history won't repeat itself?" He sighed, and looked at me. "I cannot let a man so unpredictable look after this child."

I felt as if my heart and stomach dropped to the floor.

"It is for this reason," the man continued, "that John Henry Granger will be in the custody of Arthur and Molly Weasley."

Notes: Ah! What now? What now?

Chapter Twenty-Five - The Interruption

After the whispers ceased, the old wizard continued to talk. "As for evading the Ministry personnel and endangering the lives of the boy and the woman who were with you, I must -"

"Enough!" a voice shouted. It was a raspy male voice, not as deep as Uncle Ron's. "Enough of this nonsense!"

Everyone looked around, trying to find the person who had interrupted the trial. I couldn't see anything, but the man had been spotted, and everyone was looking at where he was with startled expressions. There were more whispers, and loud exchanges, and what I heard made my blood freeze.

"It's Harry Potter!"

Uncle Ron tried desperately to look behind him, but as he was chained to the chair, he couldn't quite see what was going on. I tried screaming, but I remembered I still was silenced by the spell. Instead, I took advantage of the Aurors' distraction and ran towards him. "What's going on?" he asked, but I shook my head and pointed at my throat. "Bloody people," he muttered, glaring over his shoulder at the Aurors, who had just noticed I wasn't next to them. "They Silenced you!"

I nodded, and grabbed his hand. I nearly jumped when a hand grabbed my shoulder. It was Luna, who had also seen it opportune to use the distraction to her needs. She took out her wand from her coat, and cast a spell on me. Then, she did the same on my uncle.

I was able to talk again, and he was set free from the chains. Despite the situation, and to my disgust, he grabbed her and kissed her on the mouth. "Ew," I muttered, looking away and feeling my face warm.

A hand patted me on my head, and I looked up at Uncle Ron, who was grinning at me. "Don't be like that, you'll be doing that in a few years," he laughed as I looked at him horrified.

Then we looked around, and noticed that people were gathering around something. "What happened?" I asked, looking curiously at the crowd.

Luna looked at me, then at my uncle. "It's Harry. He's here."

Notes: Gah! Another cliffhanger!

Chapter Twenty-Six - The Father

I felt nervous, anxious and scared, all at once. I attached myself to my uncle's leg, and peered over at the crowd. They were splitting, as if to let someone pass. And there it was. The moment I had been waiting for.

Remus Lupin was walking slowly towards us, a man with a mop of black and messy hair limped behind him, aided by a wooden cane. Crookshanks was at the rear, looking dignified.

The man looked as if he were older than he was supposed to. He had a stubbly beard that was as messy as the hair on his head. His eyes - green like mine, but he wore rounded spectacles, like in the pictures my mother showed me - seemed distant, that much I could tell, as the two men stopped a few meters away from us.

The man's clothes seemed to have been used for years, and his skin was scarred in several places. He gasped for air, as if he had ran for miles. "Hello, Ron," he said, his voice raspy and tired.

My uncle was looking at him, startled and with some sort of apprehension. "Bloody hell, it is you," he blurted out.

Harry - my father - chuckled. "Still the same, I see," he said quietly. "Let's get out of here, my friend." Then he looked down at me, and gasped. "You are John," he stated. I nodded slowly, but still held my uncle's leg. "I've read about you, on the newspaper."

I looked down at my feet, not knowing what to do. Then at my uncle and Luna, both smiled, as if encouraging me to do something. "Hello, father," I said, letting go of my uncle and hugging the man I had been looking for instead.

Chapter Twenty-Seven - The Truth

My father's presence was enough to turn the Ministry of Magic into a chaotic place. After making sure my uncle was cleared of all the silly charges, he granted him full custody of myself, with expressed instructions that no one could question Uncle Ron's guardianship.

It seemed weird, though. He was my father, after all... Didn't he want to raise me?

On the way out, we crossed paths with Mrs Weasley and the rest of the family. No one was as shocked as her, though. She she tried hugging my father, but his glare froze her in place. He was obviously angry at her.

"What you've done to my son and Ron has no excuse!" he shouted as we walked past her. He coughed loudly as we reached the fireplaces I had seen before.

We went to Lupin's hut by Floo. When I fell on my face, as we arrived to the small house, my father chuckled. "People say you get used to it, but it's not true," he said quietly.

We sat in the small living room and Auror Tonks arrived shortly after. I looked at her quizzically, and she smiled. "Remus and I live together," she explained. I felt my mouth opening slightly in surprise. It explained how she knew that we had been there before.

My father was looking at me intently, as if studying me. "So, you're how old? Eight, right?" he asked. I nodded. "When were you born?"

"October thirty-one," I replied, looking at my hands.

"That date," he said with a sigh. "That date seems to be cursed. Many bad things happen."

I frowned. "You, Mum, and Uncle Ron became friends that day," I said, remembering my mother's tales. My uncle chuckled.

"True," my father said. "I'm glad about that. And about you."

The room became quiet for a while, as everyone seemed to be trying to find something to say. Lupin sat on a small couch, Tonks had gone to the kitchen to get us some tea, I supposed. I sat between my uncle and Luna, and my father was sitting across from us.

"Where have you been?" I asked, since no one seemed to be able to talk.

"In a small house, an old Potter property, far away from people," he said.

"Why did you leave?" my uncle asked, his tone hurt and somewhat angry.

My father sighed, and rubbed his hands. "It's complicated... Let me see, how to say this? Well, there's no way to make this sound less dramatic," he chuckled darkly, to himself. "I'm dieing," he said simply.

Tonks gasped and stopped dead on her tracks, a tray with a kettle and several cups on her hands. Luna looked surprised, and my uncle tensed. I felt as if my world was crumbling again...

"I've been dieing since I defeated Voldemort. I thought I wouldn't last long. But - I don't know why, I'm still alive," he said, looking at me.

"How do you know you'll die?" I asked, not fully understanding his explanation.

My father frowned slightly. "Well, it's a decease: cancer. It started out in my brain, now doctors say it's in most of my organs. They're amazed I lasted this long, in all honesty," he chuckled bitterly.

Indeed, it was rather amazing. Brain tumors were famous for killing quickly, if it couldn't be removed. But it explained his shabby appearance, he looked nearly as old as Lupin. "You could've told us," Uncle Ron said, hurt and sad. "You could have gone to a Healer."

My father snorted. "I've been to countless of Healers, doctors, from all over the world, Muggles and wizards alike. There's nothing anyone can do about it. And I didn't want to ruin everyone's happiness by staying around until I died."

"You're our friend!" my uncle exclaimed angrily. "Of course we would have been sad, but you don't deserve to die alone, without anyone knowing! What you did was much worse than dieing on us..." he finished in a lower tone.

My father shut his eyes, as if not wanting to hear that. But it was true, as much as I didn't want to admit it. Still, I didn't want to recriminate him.

"What's done is done," Luna said softly, placing a hand on my uncle's arm - from behind me, since I was in the middle.

With a sigh, Uncle Ron calmed down. "True," he said quietly. "What's done is done." He looked at my father, and smiled slightly. "Welcome back, brother."

Notes: Nearly there. Next chapter will be... I'm sure it'll give everyone a good excuse to flame my arse... :P

Notes: Gah! I completely forgot to post the last three chapters. :( I finished this story in July! I'm posting the chapters all at once, so I don't have to worry about the flames. It's probable that I won't edit this story for a long, long time, or at all...

Chapter Twenty-Eight - The Stars

Three days had passed since my father found me. I couldn't help but notice how his health got worse quickly.

Uncle Ron, Luna, my father, and I went to live to the old Lovegood house, which was near where Uncle Ron and I used to live. It was where Luna grew up, and still lived. The house was rather strange, colored in gaudy tones, and it had two stories. There were three bedrooms, so we all were rather comfortable.

My father and I spent the days outside, walking or sitting against the house. He would tell me stories, and I would tell him about what I could remember of my early childhood. I let him open my mother's old trunk, but asked him not to tell me what was in there, since I would check it out when I was older.

We looked at a small album of pictures that had my mother and me, which wasn't in her trunk. We laughed, we cried, and we got to know each other. It was something I've always kept in my heart. Those days with him.

"So you finished school, already?" my father asked one day.

I nodded proudly. "Yup. They said I'm a very smart boy, I would only have to do a course at high school and be done with it. But I want to go to Hogwarts, so I'll wait until later for that. I'm so anxious to go to Hogwarts! Mum has read me a lot of history books, and even quizzed me!"

He laughed, and seemed to become younger when he did so. "Sounds like something she'd do."

"Mum and I always studied something," I told him. "The colors, the clouds, the plants, and then the more complicated things." He chuckled again, as if I had said something funny.

We were quiet for a few moments. "I left a letter for you, in your mother's trunk. When you are older, you'll know what it says..." He smiled sadly at me, and turned to look at the darkening sky. A few stars were starting to shine.

Still, somewhere deep within me, I felt weird. It felt strange having him around, since I had only known him from pictures and my mother's memories, which often portrayed him as flawless. I hadn't thought about it before, mostly because I had never had another person distorting that role.

A strange feeling of guilt washed over me whenever the four of us had lunch or dinner, or Uncle Ron would join us. I felt like I was betraying him, and that I was betraying my father as well.

On the fourth night, my father and I sat outside to watch the stars. It was one of the things I enjoyed doing with my mother, and so I told him. I showed him how much I knew about the constellations, and he said I was a lot like my mother. He didn't remember much about the things he learnt at school.

I sat at his side, against the wall, and held his hand. "Father?" I said with a little bit of difficulty. "Would you and Mum be mad at me... if I want them... if I want Uncle Ron and Luna to..."

My father chuckled, and looked down at me. His eyes seemed distant, almost dull. "Ron is... like a brother to me... And I think it would make him happy if you let him be your father. And, I know Hermione would never be angry at you if Luna became your mother."

"Wouldyou be angry?" I asked.

He smiled. "Of course not. It's great to have a second chance," he said, though at that time, I didn't understand his words. "I'm sorry I didn't come back sooner," he added, moments later. It was becoming a habit of his. "I'm proud of you. And of your mother. You've inherited her strength."

"You were going to marry her," I stated, remembering what Uncle Ron had told me.

My father nodded, a sad smile on his face, his eyes more distant than before. He leaned against the wall and chuckled. "I was so scared of proposing," he said, laughing quietly. "I had just defeated a dark wizard, and I was so scared of proposing to your mother."

I chuckled along with him, finding it amusing. It was true. Everyone referred to him as the Boy-Who-Lived, the Savior of the wizarding world. The Chosen One. The Hero. But he was just a man, a man with a hard childhood, who had been wanting to live. And when he finally was able to be normal, he discovered he was dieing.

Without realizing it, there were tears flowing freely on my cheeks. It seemed unfair. What my parents went through. What my uncle went through. What war did to them...

My father's hand felt a little bit limp. I looked up at him and sighed. He had fallen asleep again. He did it quite often, those days. His body couldn't handle too many activities, not with his illness. I shook him, to wake him up. But he didn't. "Father?" I called in a whisper. "Father, wake up... D-dad?"

But he didn't wake up. Never did.

Chapter Twenty-Nine - The Burial

January 16, 2007...

One would think I spent months looking for my father, that it took days to get my uncle cleared of all charges. That I lived years with my father, keeping him company until he died. But, no. It hadn't been a month since my mother's death, and I had now found and lost my father.

I sighed and held Uncle Ron's hand firmly. We both wore formal black suits. Luna stood next to my uncle, dressed in a black dress. We were on the private funeral that was held for my father. There would be a ceremony in a few days, at Hogwarts, where the Ministry would rise a symbolic tomb for my parents. At first, it was only for my father, but Uncle Ron and I insisted that my mother should be included.

My father was buried next to my mother's grave in a Muggle cemetery. It would keep his final resting place in peace, no one trying to disrupt him, or anything like that. My mother and grandparents had been buried there by her side of the family, weeks before.

As the coffin was slowly covered, I felt my uncle squeezing my hand slightly. We looked at each other, and we both knew, we'd have to live on. Move on. It seemed, at that moment, a hard thing to do.

I found my father, I lost him.

I glanced at Uncle Ron again, and thought, that maybe, one day I would have a father again...

Notes: To think that so little time passed between Hermione and Harry's deaths... Poor John!

Chapter Thirty - The Forgiven

Nearly two months before, my father had died. It seemed like days would never end, like nothing could get rid of the pain I felt. Both Uncle Ron and Luna did their best to help me, especially her. She was an expert in the field, after all.

When my mother died, it had been too shocking. And then the search for my father started, and I hadn't been able to grieve her properly. Then he died too. It was too much to handle, and once it sank in... I wasn't sure what would happen with me.

The three of us still were in the Lovegood house. Uncle Ron had started working again at the Leaky Cauldron. Luna went back to St. Mungo's, to her job. Remus and Tonks would spend the afternoons with me, sometimes it would be Ginny and Neville. Even Bill, Fleur, and Francois would come and see me.

They distracted me. They tried to cheer me up. To remind me I still had a family. But I still felt like an intruder.

One particular day, a Sunday, Uncle Ron, Luna, and I were eating breakfast when there was a knock on the door. Curiously, he went to answer. We only heard that he slammed the door shut again, and came back scowling. "Who was it, Ronald?" she asked, concerned.

"My mother," he growled, sitting beside me, and starting to eat again.

Luna got up from her seat and went to the door. "Well, it's impolite to do what you did," she told him, as she opened the door. "Hello, Mrs Weasley," she said, formally. "Is there something that you need?"

"I came to... I want to... I want to apologize to my son," I heard Mrs Weasley saying, with difficulty. "I've been a terrible mother, I know. I thought I was doing little Johnny a favor-"

"Of course," Luna interrupted. "A favor to John, taking his guardian - his uncle - away from him." It surprised me to hear a hint of anger in her voice. "Please, Molly, choose your words carefully."

There was a sigh, tired, of resignation. "You're right," Mrs Weasley said quietly. "It was my fault. I've always... I've always wanted what's best for my children, but just now... I've realized that they all know what's best for them... I should have trusted Ronald, I shouldn't have turned against him. It's not what I taught him, any of them. 'Weasleys remain united'... I betrayed my own family's trust."

There was a long pause. My uncle stood up, and walked up to the door. "Do you really mean it?" he asked, his tone curt, devoid of any emotion. "Or are you just trying to take John away from me, again?"

"No!" I heard her reply quickly. "No, please. I just came to apologize, nothing more. I know Johnny is well taken care of, he's happy with you. I know you're healthy, I know you're responsible."

Uncle Ron didn't say anything. Instead, he turned to me and motioned for me to go over. I stood up, and walked up to them. Mrs Weasley was still outside, looking very anxious, and sad. "I think John deserves an apology."

I was surprised, but inwardly glad about it. Yes, I did deserve an apology. I felt like frowning at her, crossing my arms, and demanding an apology... But, I didn't. Mrs Weasley was nearly in tears, and she seemed honestly sorry. "Would you forgive me, Johnny? Would you forgive this old fool for not listening to you?" she asked, a small sad, but hopeful, smile on her lips.

I didn't have to think twice. "Of course, Mrs Weasley. I forgive you," I said, and let her engulf me in a bone-crushing hug. Hopefully, she wouldn't squeeze me to death. "On one condition," I added, after I was put down. She looked down at me, a bit apprehensive, but otherwise attentive. "That you call me 'John' and not 'Johnny'."

Both Uncle Ron and Luna laughed, and Mrs Weasley did too after nodding.

A few moments passed until my uncle spoke...

"Want to come in, Mum?"

Notes: It's done! I'm leaving the two would-be chapters for any other moment. Maybe for a one-shot sequel. I'm terribly tired of this story. It consumed me. But I like it, I really do.

I apologize for the several errors, typos, or misunderstandings in this story. Maybe one day I'll edit it, but don't count on it.

Thanks to everyone who read this, and those who commented. :)

December 26, 2006 - July 29, 2007