Finding Father by Ancient Werewolf

Rating: R
Genres: Angst, Romance
Relationships: Ron & Luna
Book: Ron & Luna, Books 1 - 5
Published: 19/01/2007
Last Updated: 30/10/2007
Status: Completed

Post-Hogwarts. Little John Granger is orphaned when his mother and grandparents die. He goes to
live with his parents' best friend, who has some problems of his own. Will a young woman be
able to help them heal? Will John find his father, who has disappeared since before he was born?
R/Lu, H/Hr.




1. The Crash
------------

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.



2. The Blood
------------

**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. :(



3. The Will
-----------

**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.



4. The Burrow
-------------

**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).



5. The Argument
---------------

**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.



6. The Picture
--------------

**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. ;)



7. The Attack
-------------

**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.



8. The Counselor
----------------

**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



9. The Job
----------

**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.



10. The Failure
---------------

**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.



11. The Family
--------------

**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



12. The Departure
-----------------

**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.)



13. The Relatives
-----------------

**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.



14. The Housekeeper
-------------------

**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.



15. The Graves
--------------

**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.



16. The Owl
-----------

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!



17. The Marauder
----------------

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...



18. The Aurors
--------------

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



19. The Betrayal
----------------

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...



20. The Reminder
----------------

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



21. The Persecution
-------------------

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.



22. The Interrogation
---------------------

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.



23. The Recapture
-----------------

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.



24. The Trial
-------------

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?



25. The Interruption
--------------------

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!



26. The Father
--------------

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.



27. The Truth
-------------

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



28. The Stars
-------------

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.



29. The Burial
--------------

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!



30. The Forgiven
----------------

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