As Mr. Weasley left, Harry thought he heard a muttered 'git' from one of the twins, no doubt talking about their petulant missing brother.
"Oh! Where's my head?" Molly said, rising to her feet again. "I've forgotten all about breakfast."
Seeming to make up for lost time, Mrs. Weasley had a feast on the table in no time at all. Harry ate gratefully, his hunger returning as soon as the agreement was settled. Ron didn't return for the meal but Mrs. Weasley tried to put his mind at ease.
"Ron'll come around eventually," she said as she dished out a second helping onto their plates. "He's got too much of the Prewett pride in him though to make it easy. My brothers were just the same. They'd be the first to jump to each other's defense, but one wrong word and Fabian and Gideon wouldn't speak to each other for months. Merlin knows Ron could do more to be proud of though," Molly said with a shake of her head. "His grades were dreadful."
"Fred and I were thinking about getting him to try out for Keeper this year," George said.
"Wood's not going to be there forever," Fred explained, "and McGonagall lit into him when we lost our chance for the Cup last year for not having any reserve players. Even if they can hardly fly they're better than none at all, and Ron's not half bad."
Percy put down his fork; food in his stomach finally seemed to solidify what he wanted to say.
"Harry, on behalf of myself and all the other Hopefuls," the prefect said formally, "I'd like to express my appreciation for what you've done for us."
"You don't have to do that," Harry said embarrassed. "I didn't do anything, so there's no use in appreciating what a thieving guardian did with the money."
Mrs. Weasley looked embarrassed as she heaped another helping onto their plates.
"Still," Percy pressed, "the Hopefuls have always felt immensely grateful for our chance and have always looked for some way to make a difference. Bill always applied himself because of it and Charlie chose the dragons over Quidditch because he thought living the rest of his life on a broomstick would be a poor way to pay Hogwarts back."
"You remember the broom England gave him to try to change his mind?" Fred asked George enviously.
"Wish he would've left it behind," George agreed. "The burst of speed would knock your socks off."
A look passed between them sending George to his feet and heading for the stairs. Fred lingered for a moment, shoveling what he could of his eggs into his mouth before he moved to follow.
"Now where are you two going?" their mother asked.
"Can't tell you that, Mum, but I solemnly swear we're up to no good," Fred said piously.
"That's not good enough," she said, grabbing the back of his shirt and pulling him back to his seat. "You tell me what you two are up to."
Just then there was a knock at the door, causing Harry's stomach to plummet.
"You wait right there," Molly told Fred with a warning finger and steely look as she went to answer the door.
Harry put his fork down and took a calming breath, waiting for the inevitable.
"Albus! How are you? What a pleasant surprise," Molly said as she welcomed the traitorous old man inside.
"Fine, just fine," Dumbledore said as he entered. "Ah! I see that your letters have arrived."
"Well - yes," Mrs. Weasley said, a bit flustered. "We were rather concerned at first, of course, but everything's turned out for the best. You can keep Ginevra's name down, we'll be able to pay," she explained with a smile to Harry.
"Really?" Dumbledore smiled to Harry, a gesture he didn't return. "Quite fascinating. I don't suppose I could trouble you for a minute of Harry's time? We have a lot to discuss."
"We don't have anything to discuss," Harry cut in before Mrs. Weasley had a chance to respond.
Harry felt his nervousness grow in leaps and bounds and he quickly tried to get a hold of himself. 'Be Harold,' Harry said to himself. 'If there's one moment to be Harold, this is it .' He felt like he was going to be sick.
"I think you'll find there's a great deal you need to know," Dumbledore said in what he thought might pass for kind, if you didn't know any better.
"I think you'll find there's a great deal I know already," Harry said coldly.
"Harry-," Mrs. Weasley said, trying to keep things civil, as if Dumbledore being there were some kind of grand event in itself.
"I think it might be best if I take young Harry back home to his family," Dumbledore said to Molly with a hurt look.
"That place was never my home, and those people were never my family," the Harry who was Harold said.
"Certainly, you don't mean that," the headmaster said, as if trying to sooth a distraught child. "They're the only family you have."
"An accident of birth," Harold said, the phrase popping up from somewhere as he stood. "It doesn't make them my family or that place my home. This is my home," he explained. "That was signed and sealed before you ever arrived. These people have been more like family to me in the last week than the Dursleys ever were in ten years."
"Wha-what is going on?" Mrs. Weasley asked, standing by her sons. Percy looked torn while Harry doubted Fred's eyes could get any bigger.
He felt his hands grow heavy, as if all the blood in his body decided to congregate there at once. Harry flexed his fingers and had to keep himself from reaching for his wand, just to make sure it was there.
"Yes, why don't you tell her what's going on?" he asked.