The next morning when Molly entered Bill's room, the first thing she noticed was that the room seemed too quiet; as she opened the curtains, she turned and saw with alarm that the bed was empty and was about to run out when she heard a whimper coming from under the bed, slowly she bent don't and looked to see Harry staring at her with wide eyes, his bear clutched tight in his grip.
"Hello Harry," Molly said softly, "My name is Molly Weasley. Would you like to come out?"
Harry whimpered and tried to shuffle back but stopped when he found he had no more room,
"I'm not going to hurt you, Harry," Molly said softly, extending her hand towards him instantly; the boy flinched away from her hand, and Molly felt tears prick the corners of her eyes at the thought of what he must have experienced to be so afraid.
"I know you're afraid, Harry," Molly said soothingly, her hand still extended to him, "But I promise you need have no fear of me, I'm not going to hurt you, nor will I allow anyone else to,"
after a few moments of tense silence, Harry spoke in a scared whisper,
"Why do you keep calling me Harry?"
Molly's heart broke at the question, and she had to focus on not crying as she answered,
"Because that's your name, sweetie, Harry Potter."
Harry's eyes seemed to widen at the revelation, and he frowned in thought before replying in the same scared voice,
"That's not when my aunt and uncle said…."
Molly felt anger course through her at the words, and before she could stop herself, she replied severely,
"Your aunt and uncle were vile people, Harry! You should never have been placed with them in the first place!"
Molly was going to say more but stopped when she saw how scared she had made Harry, and with a sad sigh, she said in a much calmer voice,
"I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't mean to scare you. I knew your mummy and daddy, and I know they would have been very disappointed to know that you had been given to your aunt and uncle."
Harry's eyes widened at that, and he replied in a soft voice,
"You knew my mummy and daddy?"
"I did, yes," Molly replied with a smile, "I can tell you about them if you'd like, but first you have to come out, is that okay?"
Harry looked at her in tense silence for a few moments as though trying to decide if he should trust her; when he finally spoke,
"Are you a monster?" He asked, making her smile sadly at the thought of those he must have encountered beforehand,
"Of course not. Do I look like one?" She asked, trying to give the warmest smile she could,
"No," Harry answered softly, "But you've got a stick, just like the one the other monsters had who tried to hurt me,"
Molly lowered her hand to her apron where her wand was poking out and slowly pulled it out to show Harry, who flinched and again tried to shuffle back away from her; seeing his reaction Molly had to again fight back the tears as she answered,
"This is called a wand, Harry," she said as she placed it on the floor in front of her, "It's what witches and wizards use to perform magic,
Harry's eyes widened at the words, and Molly hoped that she was beginning to earn his trust,
"Like the Fairy Godmother?" Harry asked,
"Yes, just like that," Molly answered, not understanding what he was talking about but glad that he seemed less afraid of her,
"I used to dream about a fairy godmother coming to rescue me like she did for Cinderella, but she never came," Harry said sadly, breaking Molly's heart despite not understanding them.
"I'm so sorry, Harry," Molly said, "Had I known what you were being subjected to, I would have come and gotten you myself,"
"The monsters had wands…." Then, as a tear ran down his cheek, "They chased me every day and tried to hurt me, but Teddy saved me."
Harry hugged his bear affectionately at that, and Molly smiled at him before a sad expression took over,
"Unfortunately, Harry, not all those who practice magic are good, some are very bad, but I promise that I am not one of those, nor is anyone here. We all simply want to protect you and keep you safe if you let us."
Harry stared at her for another minute before he began to slowly shuffle towards her, making her smile as she took his hand gently,
"There we go, sweetie," Molly said soothingly as she helped him, "Now let's go downstairs, and I'll introduce you to everyone, and we'll get you a spot of breakfast. Does that sound good?"
Harry nodded slowly and took Molly's hand. She led him downstairs to the dining room, where the rest of the Weasleys were enjoying their breakfast while chatting about their new arrival.
"I can't believe it," Fred said excitedly, "We've got Harry Potter staying in our house!"
"It really is brilliant, to be sure!" George added as he wolfed down his second bit of toast,
"How long do you think he'll be staying?" Percy asked out loud as he lifted his eyes from his book,
"As long as he needs to," came the reply from Molly as she entered the room, holding Harry's hand gently and making the table jump up excitedly,
"Hello, I'm Fred!" Fred cried out as he raced towards the boy,
"And I'm George, a pleasure to meet you, Harry!" George said, racing alongside his brother to be the first to greet the famous boy they had heard so many stories about.
Rather than answer, Harry let out a squeak of fright at the sudden movement and dove behind Molly for protection, making the twins frown in confusion as Molly gently coaxed Harry forward,
"It's okay, Harry," she said softly, "These are my sons, and they're not going to hurt you; they just wanted to say hello, is all,"
Harry slowly nodded at Molly and, after a few moments of tense silence, replied in a mumbled voice,
"Hello, my name is Harry Potter apparently, though I'm used to being called freak; you can call me that if you like,"
"They absolutely will not!" Molly said, giving both boys a stern look before turning to Harry, who had flinched at her and now stood stock still with fright; with a sad sigh, Molly leaned down and placed her hands on Harry's shoulders, noticing with even greater sadness the way he flinched at her touch, and spoke in a soft, gentle voice,
"Listen to me, Harry, your name is NOT freak; you are not a freak in any way, shape, or form, do you understand? Your aunt and uncle should never have called you that, and so long as you are under my roof, I promise that you will never be called that again by anyone, okay?"
Harry looked at her tearfully for a moment before nodding, bringing a smile to Molly's face,
"Good, now let's introduce you to everyone and get you set up; you must be hungry,"
at the mention of food, Harry's stomach gave a loud rumble that made everyone laugh and brought a grin to Harry's face. Molly pulled out a chair next to the one called George and picked him up to sit in it.
"You've already met my twins, Fred and George," Molly said as she began to pile Harry's plate with eggs and meat, "The little girl next to you is my youngest, Ginny, and next to her reading is Percy," both Weasleys nodded at Harry, who was trying to remember the names but was transfixed by the food in front of him, he had never been allowed to eat this much before and was sure there had been some mistake in Molly giving it all to him.
"The two on the other side of you are named Charlie and Bill; Bill is my eldest," the two across from Harry flashed him a smile which Harry tried to return but only managed a weak grin,
"The last one is Ron, whom you met last night," Molly concluded as she added toast to Harry's plate; Harry looked across and remembered Ron as the boy he had seen last night holding the broomstick,
"And this is my husband, Arthur," Molly added as she sat down next to an adult who gave Harry a warm smile,
"Hello, Harry," Arthur said, "It's a pleasure to have you here."
"Hello, everyone," Harry mumbled softly, "It's nice to meet you all."
Smiles and hello's followed his words before everyone began to return to their breakfast, and the chatter resumed,
"So tell us, Harry, how'd you get here?" Percy asked as he placed his book down and reached for a banana,
"Teddy saved me," Harry said softly as he stared at his food, "I was being chased by monsters, and Teddy brought me here,"
Harry hugged his bear at that, and the table smiled at the action,
"Well, that was very noble of him; he should be rewarded, don't you think?" Molly said with a warm smile, "May I see him?"
Harry hesitated, and Molly gave him another warm smile,
"I won't hurt him, I promise," Molly said softly,
after another minute of tense silence, Harry slowly reached out his hand to her and handed over his little bear, staring at her in worry as she examined it.
The bear was a simple brown, the kind you could find in any store, with a tear in its right arm from which stuffing was protruding and its left eye missing,
"He looks like he could use a little fixing," Molly said as she gazed down at it,
"He used to belong to my cousin Dudley," Harry said softly, still eyeing her warily in case she tried to hurt the bear, "But he didn't like him because he was so small, so when aunt Petunia threw him out and bought Dudley a bigger one, I rescued him from the trash and kept him safe."
Molly nodded and gave Harry a smile, making the boy shift nervously,
"Well, seeing as how Mr. Teddy here saved your life, it seems only fair that he should be fixed up as a reward,"
without another word, Molly placed the bear on the table and drew her wand, making Harry jump with fright at what she was about to do; before he could say anything, however, Molly waved her wand over the bear, and Harry watched wide-eyed as its eye grew back and the tear on its arm magically disappeared.
"Here you go, Harry," Molly said as she handed the bear back to him; Harry stared at his bear for a moment in awe before giving it a hug and whispering,
"Thank you, Mrs. Weasley,"
Molly choked back tears at the innocent display and said in a soft voice,
"You can call me Molly if you like, Harry. Mrs. Weasley makes me sound like an old lady,"
Molly winked at Harry at the last part, making Harry grin at her as he nodded,
"Now, eat up," Molly said as she poured the boy some orange juice, "You're far too skinny,"
"This is all for me?" Harry asked as he stared at the plate in front of him, his eyes shining with tears,
"Well, of course, it is, dear boy," Arthur said happily, "Surely your aunt and uncle fed you, didn't they?"
Harry was silent for a moment, making Arthur's smile drop slightly before he asked,
"They did feed you, didn't they, Harry?"
"Sometimes," Harry mumbled, "If I finished all my chores,"
"What chores?" Molly asked, aghast at the words,
"I had to make breakfast for everyone and then clean the house. Whatever else they told me to, I wouldn't be allowed to eat if I didn't finish in time," Harry said sadly, making the table quiet with shock.
"They made you cook them breakfast?" Molly asked in shock, "You're just a boy, and they made YOU cook THEM breakfast?!"
"That's bloody awful," Bill said,
"And they made you cook and clean as well?" Fred asked, his face pale at the news,
"They treated you like a bloody house-elf!" George added, his face equally pale,
"What kind of monsters would do that?!" Molly thundered, making Harry flinch,
"Molly…." Arthur said softly, nodding his head at Harry, who looked terrified and like he was trying not to cry; Molly quickly rose from her chair and approached the boy who flinched away from her, making Molly inwardly scream with rage at the muggles who had so hurt this innocent boy for no other reason than their own prejudice.
"I'm sorry, Harry, I didn't mean to frighten you; I'm not mad at you; I'm angry with your aunt and uncle; they had no right to treat you like that; no child should ever be treated like that,"
without another word, Molly enveloped Harry in a warm hug, making him gasp in surprise,
"I promise that you'll never have to worry about being treated like that again, Harry," Molly whispered as she gently stroked his hair, "Now, let's get some food in you, okay?"
Molly pushed Harry's chair back into place with a nod and retook her own, watching happily as Harry began to slowly eat his eggs with pure happiness across his face. In contrast, the rest of her children began to ask him questions.
XXXX
After breakfast, Molly sent Harry outside with the other children to play while they waited for Dumbledore to arrive,
"Keep an eye on him," Molly had told Bill, "Don't let him do anything too dangerous, understand?"
Bill had nodded before extending his hand to Harry, who looked up at Molly for assurance that it was safe; after she nodded warmly at him that it was, Harry had cautiously taken Bill's hand and been led outside to join the others who were currently playing a game that involved a brown ball.
Molly and Arthur had watched for a little while as the children tossed the ball back and forth, laughing as they did so, before George or Fred had given the ball to Harry and told him to run with it; after a few moments of indecision, Harry had taken off like a rabbit, smiling as the others chased him.
"I can't believe what those muggles did to him," Arthur said sadly, "Forcing him to perform all those things just to eat, it's disgraceful,"
Molly nodded her head angrily in agreement before replying in a growl,
"If Dumbledore thinks that I'll allow him to send Harry back to them, he's got another thing coming, that's for sure!"
Before Arthur could respond, there was a loud 'whooshing' noise that made them turn towards their fireplace to see Dumbledore walking out of it, followed closely by another woman,
"Good morning Arthur, Molly," Dumbledore said wearily,
"Good morning, Albus," Arthur said quickly before turning to the woman at his side, "Good morning, Madam Pomfrey,"
"Good morning, Arthur, Molly," Madam Pomfrey said softly, noticing Molly glaring at Dumbledore, "Is the boy ready for the examination?"
"He's outside playing at the moment, but I'll go and fetch him for you, Poppy," Molly said curtly before disappearing out the front door,
"I take it she's still mad at me?" Dumbledore asked as he watched her go,
"It's worse than before, Albus," Arthur said quickly, "During breakfast, Harry told us about his life with the muggles; he said he was forced to complete chores before eating. They treated him like a slave, Albus."
Dumbledore turned pale at the words, followed almost immediately by Madam Pomfrey, who had been listening to the conversation,
"I can only imagine what his family put him through based on how he flinches every time someone tries to touch him," Arthur added sadly.
A moment later, Molly returned, holding Harry's hand, and Dumbledore's heart sank at the sight; the boy was far too skinny, made worse by the overlarge clothes he was wearing, a barely faded bruise could be seen around the boy's neck as if someone had grabbed him there. His glasses were held together with a great deal of tape as though they had been broken many times before.
"Hello, Harry," Dumbledore said in a sad voice, "My name is Albus Dumbledore. This is my friend Poppy Pomfrey; we'd like to examine you if that's alright with you."
Harry quickly ducked behind Molly, making Dumbledore's heart break at the terror he saw in the boy's eyes,
"It's okay, Harry," Molly said softly, "They just want to make sure you're not hurt, that's all,"
"They're not monsters?" Harry asked softly, making Molly shake her head,
"No, they're good and want to help, and I promise I'll be right here through it all,"
"You won't leave?" Harry asked, looking up at Molly and making her bite back tears,
"Never," she said simply as she flashed him a warm smile.
Harry smiled back and allowed Molly to lead him to the living room, where she sat him down on the couch and slowly removed his shirt; as she did so, Molly heard the gasps of shock as Albus and Poppy saw the scars and half-healed bruises that littered his front, Harry immediately grew self-conscious and tried to grab the shirt back when Molly whispered,
"It's okay, sweetie, just relax,"
slowly, Harry lowered his arm and fixed his eyes on the floor as Madam Pomfrey set out a roll of parchment and quill; then, with a flick of her wrist, the quill stood up on its own, much to Harry's surprise, and began to jot down notes as she traced her wand over him.
After nearly twenty minutes of this, Poppy finally stopped and nodded that she was done; Molly's heart had almost broken as Harry was asked to stand turn around; she had seen the injuries the night before but seeing them again was somehow worse than the first time, and as Dumbledore and Madam Pomfrey saw the welts and bruises on his back, their eyes widened at the horror that the boy had had to endure,
"Where did you sustain these injuries, Harry?" Dumbledore asked as Madam Pomfrey began to look at the list the quill had made,
"Most of them came from uncle Vernon," Harry mumbled as he looked at the floor, sniffing miserably; Harry had then explained why he'd gotten punished and why he deserved it, repeatedly calling himself 'a freak' much to the frustration of Molly and Arthur. Dumbledore seemed to lose a little more color with every word until, at last, he was as white as bone.
"That's enough, Harry," Molly said gently as she pulled the shirt back over his head, "Why don't you rejoin the others outside, okay?"
Harry nodded sadly and gripped his bear tighter as he hurried out the door, leaving the adults alone,
"Molly was about to round on Dumbledore when she turned and saw the man slowly sink into a nearby chair, looking weaker than she had ever seen him,
"What have I done…." Dumbledore said sadly, "That poor boy, and I'm the one who sent him to those monsters…."
"Albus…" Arthur began before stopping, unsure what to say, "It wasn't your fault,"
"Then whose was it, Arthur?" Dumbledore asked in a broken voice, "It was my decision to send Harry to his aunt and uncle; I alone can be held responsible for what the boy has endured."
Before he could say more, a slight cough interrupted them as Madam Pomfrey showed that she was ready; with a nod from Dumbledore to proceed, she began,
"According to the diagnostic spells I performed, the boy has sustained extensive damage, though most of it lies on his back and buttocks."
"How bad is it, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked
"Bad, Albus," Madam Pomfrey responded with a frown, "The boy has broken several bones as well as received quite a lot of damage to his back and skull,"
Molly opened her mouth to respond, but Madam Pomfrey held up her hand to stop her,
"The bones are no longer broken, Molly; if that is what you are worried about, it would seem that Mr. Potter has been healing himself without realizing it, and thank goodness for it, too, for the damage might have been much worse if that were not the case."
"He's been healing himself?" Arthur asked incredulously,
"Indeed," Madam Pomfrey said with a nod, "For quite some time now, it would appear, if I had to guess, I'd say that Mr. Potter has probably broken almost every bone in his body at least once, were it not for his healing he would probably be dead."
As she said the last word, Madam Pomfrey glared at Dumbledore, but he could not feel any worse if he tried to,
"What do you suggest, Poppy?" Dumbledore asked softly,
"I will be prescribing him 'the draught of dreamless sleep' for any pain he might have as well as some healing salves for his bruises; they will need to be administered every day until the boy is completely healed,"
Molly nodded quickly as Madam Pomfrey continued,
"Also, his weight needs to be brought up as he is incredibly malnourished, but you must be careful not to overfeed him. His stomach won't be able to handle too much food at first, and if he overeats, he could cause himself further injury."
"If I ever get my hands on those muggles…." Molly growled, her face turning an impressive shade of red,
Dumbledore chuckled at that for a moment before replying,
"I'm sure it would be a grand sight to behold, Molly,
"Don't you try and butter me up, Albus Dumbledore; I'm still mad at you!" Molly hissed, making Dumbledore chuckle sadly,
"As well you should be, my dear,"
"So what happens to Harry, now?" Arthur asked softly as he watched the children from the window; they were laughing as they chased Bill around the yard, and Arthur smiled as he saw Harry being pulled along by the twins,
"Now, I must find Harry a new place to live," Dumbledore said softly as he joined Arthur, "Lily must have another living relative who would be willing to take the boy in,"
"And if there isn't one?" Molly asked as she too joined the group, Arthur putting his arm around her gently,
"Then, my dear, I simply don't know what to do," Dumbledore said sadly. "I'll take him with me; he can stay at Hogwarts until I find him a new home."
"You'll do no such thing!" Molly hissed, turning on him, "He'll stay here for now,"
"Are you sure it will not burden you, Molly?" Dumbledore asked, making Molly turn red again,
"I told that boy I would protect him, Albus; I will not have you make me a liar!" Molly growled,
"Very well, then," Dumbledore said softly, "Then I shall return as soon as I have news."
With a final bow at the Weasleys, Dumbledore turned and walked to the fireplace; Madam Pomfrey handed a large brown bag to Molly and patted her on the shoulder sadly before following. The pair were gone in a flare of green fire a moment later.
Turning back to the window, the Weasleys watched happily as Harry laughingly ran with his bear in one hand and a ball in the other, chased by the rest of the children,
"We must protect him, Arthur," Molly said sadly, "The boy has suffered enough,"
"We will, Mollywobbles," Arthur said as he placed his arm around her again, "We will."