What if James and Lily lived?

Chapter 14 ~ The Burrow

Harry gripped his fathers hand more tightly, as they ventured nearer to a strange new place. A house perhaps? But it looked nothing like his manor...

They landed in the middle of nowhere, grass almost as tall as he was. His father was forced to take small steps to allow his son to keep up with him. Gasping for his breath, they arrived at what seemed to be a garden gate.

As they made their way to the garden, they were greeted by the sight two small identical boys, hitting one another with sticks. Momentarily, they stopped to say hello, and continued in their quarrel.

James and Harry, went up to the door, and was greeted by a middle aged ginger haired women, smiling lovingly at the two. "James, my dear, I was wondering when you were coming! Ron's been so eager for somebody his age to come and play, and when I told him the news he was ecstatic."

Reaching in for a hug, James laughed and said, "Yes, well it will be good for Harry to make new friends. Poor Lily's going to have the baby later on today, we're taking her to the hospital, where the healers can deliver the baby."

"Yes, it's very exciting isn't it, I had my last one, a little girl last year."

After a few more minutes of talking, James gave Harry his suitcase, gave him a kiss and ruffled his identical messy hair. "Now, you be good here at the Burrow, okay. Molly, here was especially kind to invite you into her home, so you must treat here with the outmost respect."

Harry turned to find his father no longer there - he was all alone!

Sighing, Harry walked into the "Burrow" and was instantly hit with the smell of fresh baked oven goods. Smiling, the lady named Molly, pulled up a chair for Harry out of thin air. He sat down at the table and was quite intent.

Before long, the two rowdy boys from earlier, came running in to show their mother something. "Mummy, look, our sticks broke!" Began one.

"And somehow, parts of it got up into Percy's window!" Finished another one.

Sighing, Molly, grabbed both boys hands, and guided them to the table. She knelt down, and gave them a hug and began, "Boys, your almost five years old! You need to stop behaving like this, your a role model to your baby brother and sister, and now to our new guest."

The two boys, who's heads were bent over in shame, raised quite quickly at the mention of "new guest." Both boys ran over to Harry and started taking. Harry, not understanding half of what they were saying just kept eating. The identical boys, which Harry learnt were twins, didn't appear to notice Harry's quiet demeanour. They challenged one another to see who Harry would talk to. Fred - or as far as Harry was aware, won, when he asked if more food.

The three chatted about anything and everything, as Molly say with her baby, Ginny.

Soon after half and hour, another boy, with identical ginger hair, cane running down the stairs. "Is he here mum, is he here?" The little boy stopped; in front of the table. "Hi."

Nervous, Harry mumbled back a, "Hi."

He climbed on top of the chair, and sat besides Harry. "Do you want some of my chocolate frog?"

Before long the four boys were giggling and laughing. The two older boys teasing the younger brother, while Harry laughed gleefully. "Do you like pranks Harry?" The boy Harry believed to be George asked.

"What's that, George?" He questioned.

The two boys looked at one another in utter disbelief. "Your the first person, that figured out who was was. All our other relatives, are still confused."

Harry looked at Ron, who just smiled at him. "C'mon Harry, and Ronnie, we'll show you."

Upon hearing the boys discussion, Molly knew she needed to stop her sons corrupting the poor boy. "Right boys. George, Fred and Ron, help Harry here to take up his suitcase to Ron's room. You'll be sharing, and then after that you can go for a little walk."

Both boys nodded and went over to the suitcase. The two twin boys, who Harry could now identify as Fred and George, also helped carry his suitcase, like their mother said.

As they reached the stairs, an older boy, with long reddish hair, identical to his brothers, stopped and stared at Harry. He stood on the fifth stair, and looked down at the boys in a peculiar manner. "Charlie, Percy get down here." Two boys, similar in height ran down the stairs.

"Wow," they said in unison. The three boys, walked past him, and ran to the kitchen, to wear there mother was present.

The tallest boy, turned to his mother. "Is this him, mummy? The boy that defeated - 'You Know Who.' He whispered the last part, his breath hollow.

"Now boys, I want no mention of that in this house. Harry dear is just an ordinary boy, and so are you. Bill come over here, the rest of you go about your business."

Within seconds they had all scattered. The twins and Ron helping carrying Harry's suitcase, was out of earshot, and Charlie and Percy ran outside, in hopes of discovering a new species of frog.

They did not.

"Yes, mummy."

Molly took a seat and motioned for her son to do likewise. "Harry's parents don't wish for Harry to know about what happened. He won't understand, so if you don't talk about it, neither will your brothers."

Bill's cheeks were redding in colour, like when he's been out in the sun to long. "Okay, mummy. Don't worry." Quickly, he jumped up, to go find his brothers outside.

Upstairs the boy's had arrived at Ron's door. Harry had to collect his breath, after running up those stairs. Well, himself and Ron had given up halfway and crawled up the steps. They threw Harry's bag on the bed, before turning to run back down the stairs once more. Fred told Harry they were going to throw grass at an oblivious Percy and Charlie, who were perched on the ground.

George returned ten minutes later, with a bucket full of grass. "This is pranking, Harry. We'll start you off small, until you learn."