"I… I just want someone to love me. I really wonder if I'll ever be good enough for anyone. I mean I have my friends, but are they my friends because they like me or because I'm the Boy-Who-Lived? Neville likes me for me, I think. He even accepted me when he found out I was a parselmouth. But I don't know. Sensei cares but he can't know about my magic. Would he look at me the way Aunt Petunia and Uncle Vernon do if he did? My trustee board, they look after my interests but how much of that is because they want the influence that comes with it? I just feel so alone.
"I find myself wondering what you would say if you were here?"
....
Arthur Weasley slowly walked up the stairs to the doors of Gringotts Bank. He was here to try and persuade the goblins into making him a loan so he could pay the Hogwarts bill for his five children. He had nothing to offer as collateral only his word that he would repay the loan. He had thanked Merlin the the Daily Prophet draw had come to him and his family. It had staved off this point for a few months but now the time was here. He got in line. He needed to know exactly how much he had, the total he knew he owed on tuition for all his children was galleons that was after the discount his family received because they had so many children. He knew that after the St. Mungo's bill he was probably twenty thousand galleons shy of what he needed.
"What do you want?"
"Um yes I was hoping to speak with someone about a loan."
Arthur felt a slight flush of shame as the goblin gave him a disgusted look. Goblins made loans but they always looked down on those who utilized those services.
"Hargut, take this man to Feldspear."
"Thank you." Arthur timidly followed the goblin to an office on the next level up.
Feldspear looked at the aged redheaded wizard in front of him. "Purpose of the loan?"
"To pay my children's Hogwarts tuition."
"Amount needed?"
"I'm not sure." Arthur winced as the goblin glared at him.
"Let's find out shall we. Name?"
"Arthur Weasley."
The goblin's assistant moved out of the office at a run. Eight nerve wracking minutes later he was back and placed two folders in front of Feldspear. "Arthur Weasley, balance in account seventeen thousand one hundred and six galleons, twelve sickles, and fourteen knuts."
Arthur felt a slight hint of relief. He and Molly had done well in controlling their expenses. A thirteen thousand galleon loan while not good wasn't as bad as he had feared.
Feldspear opened the second file "Balance owed to Hogwarts on tuition for Percival, Frederick, George, Ronald, and Ginerva Weasley 13,575 galleons. Loan denied." He said as he snapped the file shut.
"That can't be right. The tuition and fees for my children is just over thirty thousand galleons."
Feldspear gave him a disgusted look. "Gringotts doesn't make mistakes."
"But how can that be?"
Feldspear flicked the tuition file open and turned it so Arthur Weasley could see the amount owed. "Tuition, fees, and boarding for five children at Hogwarts at 8,575 galleons per child equals 42,875 galleons, thirty percent discount for multiple children brings it down 12,862 galleons and eight sickles leaving 30,012 galleons nine sickles remaining . Over the last five days there have been deposits made towards the balance owed leaving a balance of 13,575 still to be paid. Will you be transferring the rest of the bill today?"
"I… Yes." Arthur wondered who had gifted his family with such generosity. "Who deposited funds was in one person or many?"
"There were seven deposits. As to who, I can't tell you that, Gringotts confidentiality."
"Of course. Thank you, Feldspear."
Arthur apparated home with a much lighter heart than he'd left with.
....
Harry was quiet as he rode to King's Cross with his aunt.
"You've been very quiet all summer. Is there something you want to say to me?"
"No, Aunt Petunia." Harry knew she expected some statement of gratitude but the last thing he was feeling was grateful. A whole summer of watching Rose be treated the way they treated Dudley had just about killed all the feelings of gratitude he'd once felt. He decided to try anyway ignoring the sour taste it left in his mouth. "Thank you for taking care of me this summer." Mentally he added, I"m sure the extra money came in handy, as did the extra hands to assign chores to. "I'm happy for you that Rose's adoption went through without a problem." He thought briefly of how he had basically lied to the social worker about his feelings about his new cousin, saying he was happy about her inclusion into the household.
"Yes, Rose is such a wonderful baby. She smiled at me the other day, you know-"
Harry tuned his Aunt out. On one level he was happy for her, she had always wanted a daughter, but her self-absorption into her own feelings and complete lack of care towards Harry this summer had really opened his eyes to the fact that his Aunt and Uncle resented him and if they had gotten their way all those years ago he would not be a part of their household now, blood relative or not. He resented Albus Dumbledore more than ever, but now he resented Vernon and Petunia as well. Looking back he was clearly able to see that while he had not been physically abused after his fifth birthday and his physical needs had been met, he had been emotionally neglected. His feelings had never once been in his family's consideration except as a way to manipulate him. Even Aunt Petunia's keeping him instead of handing him off to McGonagall was more about maintaining her means of revenge against the Headmaster than about caring for him.
Finally they pulled into King's Cross. Harry was swift to pull his trunk from the boot and swifter still to wish his aunt "Goodbye, see you next summer. Thanks for the ride." He wasted no time in going through the barrier, mounting the train and finding a compartment where he could nurse his bruised feelings in private. He hoped that Hogwarts would be less eventful this year, he really felt like he needed a year of few demands to regain his equilibrium.