Bill watched the first leaves of Autumn fall from the trees as he sat between Fred and George's beds. Fred and George themselves were snuggled up in George's bed while Charlie and Percy were sharing Fred's bed. They had pulled the old camping bed from the attic so that Ron had something soft to sleep on. The kids all thought that Bill would be sharing it with him but he wasn't sure how he was supposed to sleep.
Every now and then, he would hear a sad snuffle coming from one of his brothers. Bill himself was all out of tears.
He looked down to the tiny bundle in his arms. Ginny was barely a month old- she needed her mother.
They all did.
Ginny would need another girl to relate to- someone who could teach her about her body or her feelings.
Ron would need someone who can sing him lullabies or create stories for him, like she did for his older brothers.
Fred and George would need someone to teach them about the wonders of the world in a way that only a mother can.
Percy would need someone to talk him through the horrors of the world; the little boy hadn't yet understood that the world wasn't black and white.
Charlie would need someone who showed him unwavering support and unconditional love just like their mother had given him for years.
And Bill...Well, Bill needs someone who can help him because right now he feels so alone and so lost.
What was he supposed to do now?
It had only been a week and everything was already falling apart.
His dad was crushed by the news. He loved Molly Weasley so much, anyone could see that. He couldn't live in a world without her.
And he wasn't living, not really, and he never would again.
Bill could see it in the way he held himself- as if he were about to burst at the seems at any moment.
He had taken two weeks break of work but eventually, he had to go back, as much as he didn't want to.
He had tried to be there for his kids, Bill knew that, but he could also tell how much it was hurting him.
It had taken a lot of persuading but his dad eventually agreed to let his eldest son watch his little siblings when Arthur couldn't. He knew that Bill was capable of doing it.
And that was how it had started.
From that day on, Bill became the parent that his siblings so desperately needed.
He had always been close with his mother so it was almost guaranteed that she would teach him her recipes or how to do certain household chores. He had always loved helping her because they would laugh and joke and talktogether. It was perfect.
Now it was simply lonely when he would cook the meals. It was too quiet when he would tidy up around the house.
These were some of the few things that now occupied Bill's mind.
Every day, Bill would get himself up at seven o'clock in the morning and get ready for the day. By eight, he would have a breakfast done or cooking for when his father was finished with the night shift. By this point, he would have woken up his siblings so that they could all have at least one meal a day together as a family. They wouldn't get up straight way though. Of course, that would be too much to ask for. One by one, they would trail down looking sleep worn. Breakfast was always a special affair because it was the only meal that they shared with their father. After breakfast, Bill would clean the plates and clear the table as his father got ready for bed and his siblings went back to sleep or lounged around the house. He occasionally got a helper when one of them were misbehaving. They would do their own thing, until lunchtime, when they all ate the lunch that Bill had prepared (apart from their dad, who was fast asleep). Bill would hand out the chores for the day to Charlie and Percy while he did his own and looked after the younger ones. They had no chores that they couldn't handle but that didn't mean that they didn't complain about it. The twins, who were only a few years old, would run around with the excitement only infants had while Bill made sure that they didn't get up to too much mischief. Bill would have Ron secured on his back with a blanket while he had Ginny on his front. It helped him to get things done while knowing that the two were safe and in his eye sight. Once the day's tasks were done, he would teach the twins their basic knowledge. This included but was not limited to their English alphabet, their numbers, their colours and how to share. He would then make a nice dinner for them all while they played and relaxed after their busy days. He would put his father's food in a container so that he had something to eat during his break. His father would leave for work and Bill would get them all ready for bed. Ginny and Ron went to sleep relatively easy. It was the twins that were the hardest to put to sleep. They were so used to their mother using magic to help them to sleep so they wouldn't settle for Bill's stories. He tucked Percy in and sat by his window and read aloud from books that he knew were Percy's favourite. Percy had made it clear that he didn't want to be told 'childish' stories because he was too old for them. No matter how much Bill disagreed, he wouldn't listen, so he settled for this routine instead. Bill was adamant that he had to read in Percy's room because the window let through the most light. Charlie also believed that he was too old to be tucked in but didn't protest. Instead, they cuddled and talked until the boy fell asleep. Bill went to sleep shortly after as he was thoroughly exhausted after the day's work.
This routine lasted for almost a year but everything came to an end.
It happened one day in July. They were all sat down at the table for breakfast when an unfamiliar owl flew into the kitchen with a letter tucked in its beak. Bill thanked the owl as he took the letter. Charlie gasped when he saw the seal and tried to grab it off of him. Bill was quicker though and held it out of his reach. For his actions, he was rewarded with the younger boy sticking out his tongue at him.
Bill stared down at the letter. Was it really time to go to Hogwarts already?
He opened it warily while his family gathered around him.
Dear Mr Weasley,
We are pleased to inform you that you have been accepted at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Please find enclosed a list of all necessary books and equipment. We await your owl at your earliest convenience
Yours Sincerely
Minerva McGonagall
Deputy Headmistress
"I'm so proud of you, son," his dad said with a beaming grin. He pulled him into his side and held him in a hug for a few moments before he let go. "Be careful not to wreck the letter, boys. You don't want to rip it. A Hogwarts acceptance letter is something precious that you treasure forever. Hmm, we'll have to get it framed somewhere. What do you think Bill?" At Bill's nod of agreement he went on a rant that Bill didn't really listen to. How could he when he was more focused on what Bill going to Hogwarts means for his family?
Not only are they going to have to spend a lot of money on his new school things but it meant that Bill wouldn't be with them for most of the year.
Who would look after the kids when their dad was at work? What about when he was at home but was asleep? Who would do the cooking? The cleaning? There were so many things to think about.
"Dad?"
"...you'll have the best time-. Oh, sorry, what was that, Son?"
"I can't go to Hogwarts. Who would look after the younger ones? Charlie and Percy would probably be okay but the twins can be little terrors and Ron and Ginny are too young to be left to their own devices. Not to mention the cooking because I refuse to let Charlie be around to stove. He's far too interested in fire and creating a dragon."
"Hey!" Charlie yelled, though he was ignored.
His dad's smile dimmed slightly, "You don't have to worry about that, Bill. I can ask your Aunt Tessie to watch them. I'm sure she won't mind."
"And what if she does? Dad, she's horrible to be around anyway."
"Don't be rude to your aunt, William. It isn't nice," his father reprimanded.
"But she is! She told Fred that he was a 'silly little boy who needed to grow up'. She called Percy an 'insufferable little twit'. If that's not enough evidence for you, surely you can't forget what she said to Charlie!"
"I'm sure she didn't mean it like that. We don't have much choice anyway. You can't not go to Hogwarts and there aren't many other people that can watch them. It'll be fine, you'll see."
Unfortunately for his father, Bill did not see. He wouldn't let Tessie get within two foot of the kids when he isn't around to protect them.
The day before Bill was due to leave for Hogwarts, Bill floo-called the old witch. She was as pleasant to speak to as always.
"Which one are you again? Donald, is it?"
Bill sighed, "No Aunt Tessie, I am Bill. I'm calling to let you know that my father has changed his mind. We don't require your assistance with watching my siblings."
"Thank Merlin, I didn't want to spend my days watching a bunch of snotty children running around and causing chaos. Especially that one brat. What was his name? The twin. Gerald, if I recall correctly."
Bill wasn't going to correct her with Fred's name. Especially if she was going to insult him. "So it's agreed that you won't be coming. It would be a shame if you came all that way for nothing."
"Hmm, yes. I don't think I will. Although, it's rather odd that Arthur changed his mind so suddenly." Bill hoped that she would dismiss the thought and was relieved when she continued, " if only he would have before he married the Prewett girl. It would have saved him a world of trouble. Ah, well, at least he doesn't have to put up with her now that she's been taken care of."
Did she expect him to agree? Did she not realise that she was talking about his dead mother?
This was so typical of Tessie. She was a pretentious snob who thought she was better than his family.
"Do you have to go?" Charlie asked when Bill was tucking him in.
Bill grinned mischievously, "aww, is my little dragon going to miss me?"
Charlie let out a huff," No...I'm not! I just... Does she really have to come here? I'm not as brave as you, Bill. I can't stand up to her when she gets like she does."
"Don't worry Little Dragon, I've got it handled. You won't have to deal with her anymore, I promise."
Reassured, Charlie fell asleep with Bill's promise still floating around his mind.
"Bye, Bill!"
"Bye!"
"What do you think he's going to learn?"
"Remember to send me a letter!"
"Do you think he'll forget about us?"
"Where is Billy Goat going?"
As the train pulled out of the station, Bill closed his eyes and focused on the journey ahead of him.
Bill stepped through the Gryffindor fire place and into The Burrow's fireplace. He had just called his family through the fire. He let them know all about everything he had experienced (which admittedly wasn't much). They ended the call when his father left for work. He was expecting Tessie to be there any minute so he assumed the kids would be fine on their own for a minute or two.
Of course, Bill knew that Tessie wasn't coming.
He found the living room empty and the house strangely silent. It was bizarre.
He walked up the stairs to Ginny's room. He wanted to make sure that the youngest in the family were okay before moving onto the rest of his siblings.
No one was there though. This trend continued until he had been in every room but his mum and dad's, and his own room that he shared with Charlie.
He went to open the door to the latter room, only to find that it wouldn't open. He could hear muffled voices behind the door and immediately knew that they were all in there.
He knocked on the door, only to hear the room go silent. When no one answered, he knocked again.
"Wow, and here I thought you had missed me," he sighed dramatically. "I guess I'll just have to go back to Hogwarts where I'll be loved."
Before he could process what was happening, the door swung open and he was tackled in a hug. He fell back on the ground hard but didn't complain.
Charlie had his arms wrapped around Bill's neck as he clung tightly to his older brother.
"Dragon?" Ron's voice called. "Why did you go?"
"Come see for yourself, Little Rabbit."
Ron walked out of the room with Fred and George trailing after him. His eyes lit up at the sight of Bill. "Billy Goat's back! Look Phoenix I told you he'd be back!" he declared as he ducked under Charlie's arms to hug his brother.
"I didn't say he wouldn't ever come back, Ron. I just said that he wouldn't be back today because he isn't supposed to be," Percy sighed with a tired smile. "I don't know why you're back but I'm glad you are. It's weird being the only normal one in the house."
"Oi, we're normal too, Phoenix!" George told his brother with the kind of glare only a four year old could.
"Billy Goat! We've missed you," Fred announced as he joined Charlie, Bill and Ron's hug. George followed mere moments after.
The reunion ended as Ginny started crying. The poor thing must be confused where everyone went.
"Right, let's go in and I will tell you what's going to happen from now on." He then walked into the room and held Ginny in his arms. She immediately cuddled into him. The group settled down around him.
"What I tell you doesn't leave this room or you'll have to spend the next seven years with Aunt Tessie. You will tell no one, not even Dad. Is that understood?" All of them verbally agreed, even Ginny who babbled 'yeah'. "Last night, I called Tessie and told her not to come. She thinks that Dad changed his mind and Dad thinks she is going to be watching you during the evenings and during the day. Let them keep thinking that. During the evenings, I will floo back home after you all call me and let me know that Dad has left. I will spend some time with you and then help you get ready for bed like normal. I'll then make your lunch and dinner for the following day before going to bed myself. I will wake you all up for breakfast and make sure you're ready for the day before I leave. You'll also get your chores for the day. This will only be for the days that Dad isn't working but you will still have your chores to do and you will still be doing your studying. I'm considering sending you all to the local muggle school so that I can make sure you're still learning. It'll be better for you to learn more about the muggle world anyway. If you do end up going, you can't tell anyone there either. While I'm not here, Charlie is in charge. He won't be bossy or let the power get to his head so you will listen to him. If he tells you to do something that you don't agree with and it isn't urgent, wait till I get back and then talk to me about it. Charlie, I'll need you to watch Ginny and Ron to make sure that they are okay and happy. Percy, I know you're a good boy but I need you to be extra nice to your siblings. Can you do that for me? I need you both to make sure that the twin terrors don't get into trouble. No pranks while I'm not here. Do you understand, Fred and George?"
Bill couldn't imagine what his life would be like if Mum was still here.
For one, Bill wouldn't spend his time at Hogwarts focused on his siblings.
The boy was at school from eight o'clock in the morning until his father leaves at six o'clock in the evening for his shift at the ministry. He always made an appearance in the Great Hall to avoid suspicion before making his way to the library. Until his classes started, he would complete homework or read to pass the time. He barley ever went in his dorm room because all of his things were kept at the burrow or in his bag for convenience. The only meal he would actually eat at Hogwarts was lunch, though he would mostly use the time to study.
Bill didn't have many friends because he didn't spend much of his free time with them. His dorm mates probably didn't even know his name. In fact, the only students that he had spoken to were Jamie Arnold and Sophie Brooks, who were second year Gryffindor students. They had saw him come back from Hogwarts one morning when they were lingering around the common room. Normally, all of the students were in the Great Hall at that time but Sophie had overslept and Jamie was trying to get her to wake up. They were originally going to report his behaviour to professor McGonagall but they heard him out and decided to look out for him instead. He also spent some of his evenings in the kitchens with the house elves baking treats and learning their recipes. In return, he taught them everything he knew and they promised to make some of the meals for when his siblings came to Hogwarts. He was proud to call them his good friends.
When he wasn't studying or baking, he would create meal plans for the week or knit jumpers for his family.
When he got home, he would spend some time with his siblings. Ron would be wrapped up in a sling on his back while Ginny would be in his arms. Little Fred and George would run about the house and occasionally pull pranks while Bill tried to make sure that they didn't get into too much mischief. Thankfully, they weren't too chaotic anymore. Bill had a suspicion that Percy and Charlie had had a word with them and helped them to see that Bill really needed them to be good little boys. He helped Percy with his school work and taught him and Charlie what he had learnt at Hogwarts that day.
Percy, Fred and George went to the local muggle school so that they could have a better education and learn more about the non-magical world. Charlie decided not to go because he would be going to Hogwarts in two years and someone needed to look after Ginny and Ron. The youngest two mainly slept and napped throughout the day so Charlie wouldn't have too much work to do. Bill would take them to school and Charlie would pick them up.
Admittedly, they had been pulled up on it more than once by some of the teachers and Bill had to use glamours to make himself look older. He would explain that he was their older sibling and they were in his custody but he couldn't pick them up because he was busy working at that time.
The best part was that he hadn't even lied because the muggle world and the magical world have different legal processes. He legally had custody of his brothers and Ginny.
Sometimes, Bill would supervise while Charlie, Percy and the twins went on their brooms. Bill had banned them from playing when he wasn't home which they hated but mostly respected. Charlie had only broken the rule a couple of times George and Fred had tried to copy him and nearly got hurt. Charlie had felt so guilty that he had admitted it to Bill and promised to never do it again.
Then, Bill would make a quick but homemade dinner for them all.
An hour or two after he got home, Bill would be getting them ready for bed. One by one, the children would bathe and get into their pyjamas. He would get to hear all about their day while they did so.
They youngest four would be tucked up in to bed straight away. However, by the time that he was done, it was time for Percy to go to bed. He would read some more of their latest story and say goodnight.
Charlie would lounge on the couch or help him as he cooked their lunch for the next day. He would put some in lunch boxes for Percy, Fred and George so that they could take some to school the next day. He would also put the leftovers from dinner into a container for his father to take to work for dinner the following day. Bill would then tidy up a little more and revise before getting his own bath. The two would then go to bed themselves, normally before ten o'clock.
On the weekends, Bill would spend the entire day at home, though he had to hide when his dad left his room. On a few occasions, Sophie or Jamie would join him at The Burrow, though at least one of them would stay behind and cover for him. His siblings loved them, especially Charlie. Ginny responded positively to having another girl around. As far as the other Weasley children were concerned, Jamie and Sophie were part of the family.
On weekends without visitors, he would tell his siblings stories about their parents and uncles. Bill had been alive the longest and knew the most about them but Ginny, Ron and even the twins were too young to remember much about their mother. Percy only had a few years of memories of Molly and Charlie didn't know as much as he would, had she been alive now.
On weekends where Sophie and Jamie were their, they insisted that he took some time for himself. During these times, he would look over the recipe book and her personal book of spells that she had left to Bill in her will. He knew most of her recipes but not all of them so he was grateful for the book. The book of spells- that were mainly focused on housework- would be a big help in the future when he could actually use magic.
Bill felt uneasy on the days that he had to spend at Hogwarts because his father had the day off. It was like he was a parent who had no choice but to abandon his kids. He tried to use the time to be productive as much as he could but Jamie and Sophie made him act like a 'normal teenager' as much as possible.
No one was prouder than Bill when it was Charlie's turn to go to Hogwarts.
The kid stuck to him like glue on the train but reluctantly separated from him when they arrived. He was sorted into Gryffindor, just like his big brother and he cheered louder than everyone as the boy came skipping over. They even celebrated with Sophie, Jamie and their new girlfriend Millie Beckett for a few hours when Charlie went to see his new dormitories for the first time.
Everything was going as smoothly as it could at Hogwarts...Until it didn't.
Bill called Charlie 'Little Dragon' for many reasons. Unfortunately for the Gryffindor students who decided to spend their evening in the common room, the reason for the comparison was all too obvious right now.
"What do you mean 'what do you expect'?! I expected that my brother wouldn't run off every night while I was at Hogwarts just so-"
Bill sighed for what felt like the twelfth time, "let's take this upstairs, Little Dragon. Okay?"
"Don't 'Little Dragon' me! It's my first night at Hogwarts and you're just going to leave me in a castle with strangers!"
"Charlie, that's what every Hogwarts student does. It's a boarding school. You knew that you would be staying here instead of at home."
"Yet you don't. How is that fair? You don't get to lecture me. You're not my mother, Bill, so stop acting like it...You promised that you wouldn't leave me alone but you are."
"You're right. I'm not Mum but I'm not trying to be. I'm just a twelve year old kid, Charles. I'm not supposed to be the one who does all the adult stuff. I'm not trying to make you feel guilty or sad because it's not your job either. We don't have anyone else though. Mum's gone and Dad might as well be. Do you expect Ginny to change herself? Ron to feed himself? Fred and George to keep themselves safe? Merlin, even Percy needs a reminder not to be in his room all day! This family needs someone to look after them and I'm the best chance any of us have got. You're just going to have to deal with that. Now if you'll excuse me, I have a dinner to make."
With that, Bill slipped through the floo and back to the home where five children waited for him.
Surprisingly, it wasn't long before Charlie came to apologise. Charlie could keep a grudge for months yet it was barely the end of the first week.
"Bill?" A hesitant voice called out at the doorway of his dorm room. He looked up from where he was doing his charms homework. Charlie was fidgeting with his hands as he stood awkwardly.
"Charlie? What's wrong?" he frowned, concerned about his little brother.
"I'm sorry. I just wasn't ready for you to not be here for me during night times anymore. I always knew that you would go to Hogwarts first so you'd be there but now that's not happening and I don't like it," Charlie rushed out.
"Come here," Bill patted the bed beside him and was grateful when he took a seat. "It's alright to be upset, Charlie. It's different and I get that. After everything that's happened though, I want you to have normal experiences. That's why I'm looking after you all and why I lied to Tessie. Every kid your age goes to Hogwarts and sleeps there. This would have happened if Mum was alive or if she wasn't. Percy is smart boy but he's only eight. He's no where near old enough to look after the kids. It's why I lied about Ginny's age so that she could be looked after at the primary school."
"Yeah," Charlie mumbled. "Bill...I lied."
"Oh? What did you lie about?" Bill asked calmly, even though he was worried.
"When I said you're not my mother. I know you're not but you're more like Dad was before Mum died than Dad himself is now. Percy agrees. I mean, Ginny's first word was 'Bill'. Her and Ron haven't asked for Dad at all. When they're hurt or scared, it's 'their Bill' they want. I don't think they even understand who Dad is or why he's around the house sometimes despite you trying to explain it to her." In that moment, Charlie seemed so young. "And I don't think it's a bad thing. I know that you said he was going to get better but... Bill, Dad's not coming back, is he?"
"...I don't know, Charlie. I don't know."
Bill made his disappearances up to his brother by spending as much of his time at Hogwarts with him.
Charlie had made some lovely friends in his year but Nymphadora Tonks (or just Tonks, as she preferred to be called) was his best friend. The two first years hung out with Jamie, Millie, Sophie and Bill.
The six did everything together.
Their group was chaotic for many reasons. Nymphadora loved pulling pranks and getting into trouble. Millie and Sophie were constantly getting detentions from professors for kissing each other in lessons. Jamie was forgetful and constantly got in trouble for losing his homework or accidentally skipping a lesson. No matter how many times they tried to help him out, something went wrong. It was perfect though.
When it was time for Percy to go to Hogwarts, he was worried.
Though he knew that the twins could be responsible, he just didn't want them to be in charge of an eight year old Ron and a five year old Ginny. Thankfully, they had soon put a stop to their meaner behaviour towards Ron when Bill intervened. That isn't to say that Ron didn't get pranked. The only people that Fred and George didn't prank was Bill and Dad.
Bill was just glad that the two were in full-time education. If they weren't going to the local muggle school, Bill would fear for the state of the house and its inhabitants.
Bill only had two years until he graduated and he had no idea what he was going to do for a career. He was interested in curse breaking but some of the best options were in foreign countries. There was a particular job in Egypt that he found himself day dreaming about. He couldn't do it though, he knew that he couldn't. He would probably graduate and find a job in England with reasonable hours.
Charlie had a few more years to think about it as he was only in his fourth year. Everyone knew that he wanted to work with dragons though- the boy had been obsessed with them since he learnt about them. Their younger siblings hadn't realised it yet but Charlie's future career meant that he would have to leave them. Dragons are illegal in magical Britain so he would have to go to another country to pursue his dreams.
Percy stayed with them on the train. Tonks was sat across from them with Jamie, Millie and Sophie. Bill had sat next to the compartment door because young Percy wanted to sit between both of his brothers (not that he would admit it) and Charlie loved to look out of the window.
When Percy was sorted into Slytherin, Bill hated how the Ravenclaw, Gryffindor and Hufflepuff houses went quiet. Bill decided to make up for it with his own extra-loud cheering. His actions encouraged Charlie, Tonks, Jamie, Millie and Sophie to cheer as well. No matter who was selected into each house, Bill always made sure that Charlie and their friends would at least clap for them. Percy had looked mortified when, just as the hat had called out Slytherin, three quarters of the school fell silent. He gave Bill and uneasy but grateful smile as he slowly made his way over to his new house table.
From what Bill had briefly saw, the first year Gryffs hadn't clapped either. Most had probably followed the reactions of everyone else. As prefect, he decided to change that.
As he couldn't celebrate with Percy like he did with Charlie, he decided to the next best thing that he could.
Bill couldn't keep the smile of his face when Percy received the Howler. He regretted it for a brief second however, when Percy's face fell and he bit his lip (a telling sign that he needed to cry).
"Percy! Words can't express how proud I am of you! Slytherin! I always knew that you had amazing ambitions. Don't worry about what anyone might say- Slytherin is a perfectly respectable house and it is also full of amazing, successful witches and wizards. I can't wait to see what you achieve with your life. Despite not being in the same house as me and Charlie, you don't have to worry. I know how scary it must be to be in a house on your own, especially when it has a bad reputation but it has just shown me how brave you are. I am here for you if you need me and so is Charlie, Sophie, Jamie, Milly and Tonks. Fred, George, Ron and Ginny want me to let you know how happy they are for you and how much they love you. You can come to me anytime, I'm always here for you and that hasn't changed."
Bill watched as some of the Slytherin student comforted his little brother as he cried. He meant every word in the Howler and her would say it a thousand times if necessary. He needed his brother to know that he had people there looking out for him. It was clear to anyone that would look past bias that a lot of Slytherins were incredibly lonely and were often bullied. Of course, there was house loyalty and they looked after each other which could be seen now.
When Bill graduated, he knew that a lot of people were sad to see him go.
His brothers and Tonks had been used to him being there for them in person during the day so to see him go would be strange for them.
The throuple had graduated a year so they wouldn't miss him in the same way. Their group still kept into contact though and Jamie, Millie and Sophie came over from time to time.
After Bill's idea with the Howler, he had made many more friends. He had been to preoccupied with taking care of his siblings and keeping his grades up so he hadn't had time to make more friends. It all started with him finding a younger year Slytherin crying in a corridor during his prefect rounds. He had obviously comforted the Slytherin and listened to his problems. The boy seemed a lot better after their conversation and Bill had sent him in his way with the offer to come and speak to him if he needed to, just as he would for any student. It wasn't long before half the school knew about what had happened, minus the identity of the Slytherin. Even as a head boy in his seventh year, he could occasionally find an older Ravenclaw student approach him for advice or a first year come to him with a problem. Bill didn't mind because he was unfortunately one of the only prefects and head students who was openly against prejudice.
Even some of his professors told him that they would miss him as he was a Straight O student and a hard worker who was exceptionally kind.
He did jokingly point out to Madam Pomfrey that he could always visit her infirmary if she got lonely but she just sighed and pulled him into a side hug. No one else knew (as he would never want his brothers to find out) but Bill tended to pass out from exhaustion and stress. It had happened (slightly) less frequently as the years progressed but it it was safe to say that he had spent more time with Madam Pomfrey than with any other staff member.
Relieved, he had found a job at Gringotts as a curse breaker. He had a glowing report so the goblins decided to give him a trial.
He found his fainting spells dropping over the next year. As Charlie and Percy were still at Hogwarts, he sent them fudge and some of his other baking.
He still went to every single one of Charlie's quidditch games. His exasperation grew with the number of injuries the young seeker managed to get.
On his days off, he found the house way too quiet with just him and his sleeping father. The twins, Ron and Ginny went to school during the weekdays though they made up for the peace when they were at home.
That year, as Bill could contribute financially, he let Percy and Charlie bring one friend over for Christmas if they wanted. This lead to Mrs and Mr Tonks to invite them over for a joint Christmas. They got to talking and he found himself becoming fast friends with Andromeda and Ted (as they asked him to call them).
Having Dad, his siblings, the Tonks' and Melanie Klariss (Percy's friend) eating Christmas dinner together was better than he could imagine.
When the twins went for their first year, Charlie was in his sixth year and Percy was in his third.
When he received a letter from Charlie telling him that both Fred and George were sorted into Ravenclaw, he couldn't be more grateful. Both twins were two part of a whole. Even though they hadn't been pushed to act the same, they still loved to do everything together. He was sure that they had learnt how to do legilimency so that they could speak telepathically. He knew that they would have to get used to being apart when they were older but for now, they were at a scary time in their lives and it would be good for them to have each other.
In his letter, Charlie also talked about how excited he was to be quidditch captain that year, even though they already knew that. As a reward, Bill had bought him a book on Dragons that discussed places where he could find jobs working with them and Bill had duplicated it. In the copy, he had annotated the pros and cons of each job and place that it was in.
That year, they had another Christmas with the Tonks' only this time, they spent New Years with them as well. Bill insisted that New Years be done at the burrow so they did. They all stayed the night on New Years Eve and left late on New Years Day.
The sleep arrangements had to be altered to fit them all in. Dad slept in his own room as he would have no reason to move. Nymphadora slept with Bill and Charlie in their room. Fred, George and Lee Jordan, who had been invited as their guest, all slept together in the twins room. Percy's friend Melanie Klariss slept with him in his room. Ron and Ginny slept in their own rooms. Andy and Ted slept in the new extension that Bill had built.
He had thought that the house was too small and too rickety so he had been using his spare money to make it better. He had asked his dad for permission but he told Bill that he didn't care anymore so Bill did it. He had built some rooms off of the ground floor and then he had built on top of them. The newly added rooms were a lot bigger so he was planning to move Ginny and Ron (who were the only two siblings who hadn't gone to Hogwarts yet) into their new rooms after the kids had all gone back to Hogwarts.
It was another sad occasion when Charlie graduated. He had gotten a job in Romania so he was moving away. Bill often wondered if he would have moved out if he wasn't looking after his siblings.
When Percy was made a prefect, Bill got him a new owl, who Percy called Hermes. It was also Ron's first year at Hogwarts.
Bill thought that Ron would be disappointed that Arthur wasn't coming to the train station even though he had gone every other year but the boy didn't seem bothered. In anything, he was more sad at the thought that Bill wouldn't be there with him at Hogwarts.
As Bill was taking them to the train station, he noticed a young boy who looked quite lost. Bill wasn't sure if it was the head boy/prefect instincts that kicked in, the parental instincts or just plain common sense. If anything, he was concerned about the boy's lack of supervision. Who lets their child go to a busy train station by themselves at 11 years old to find a platform that barely anyone would know the location of. He went over to the confused, frightened boy and asked if he was okay. The boy was hesitant to admit what was wrong so Bill asked for his ticket. The kid was most likely a first year but it could just be a muggle child who didn't know where to go. Hesitantly, the boy handed over his ticket. Just as he thought. 9 3/4. Bill reassured him and introduced him to Ron. With Percy already gone through the barrier, he asked the twins to go through as a demonstration for the young boy. After they tried to convince him that he had gotten the wrong twin (which he quickly shut down as he could point out the boys that he raised), the two went through the barrier with Ginny sat on Fred's trolley. The three went though the barrier together, one on each side of Bill. He asked his younger brothers to keep an eye on the boy and their little brother. By the time that Ginny and Bill were headed home, he could tell that the two were going to be fast friends.
He knew that Percy would look after Ron when the boy was put in Slytherin. He had learnt a lot from the very long letters that Ron would write.
He had made enemies with the Malfoy boy which Bill was disappointed about. He would have to try and clear that up in some way. Apparently, Harry Potter (who was the little boy at the station and Ron's best friend) didn't shake his hand when he offered an alliance which was an obvious sign of disrespect. Harry, who had clearly been muggle-raised, didn't know the wizarding social norms so Bill decided that he would write to the boy explaining it. While he was writing letters, he would send a note to the young Malfoy, explaining that it was a misunderstanding.
He had also complained about a young girl who was sorted into Ravenclaw. She was described as being a 'bossy know-it-all muggleborn'. In his reply, Bill criticised his brother's brash view of people. He told him to apologise to Hermione and anyone else he had insulted without reason.
It turns out that he didn't need to worry as Ron, Harry, Draco and Hermione were all best friends by the end of the year.
They had also made friends with a Gryffindor boy called Neville. It hurt Bill to realise that Ron, Harry and Neville had all bonded through having lost relatives due to the war.
It was halfway through summer when he knew that something was wrong. He had caught his youngest three brothers trying to sneak out during the night. Did they honestly think that Bill wouldn't catch them? Bill knew them better than themselves at this point. His heart hurt when George spoke up about Ron's worries about Harry. Despite their obvious rule breaking, he couldn't be prouder of his boys. Ron's loyalty to his friend was amazing and the fact that Fred and George noticed their brother's anxiety and decided to help him out was heart warming.
He sat in the living room with them as they told him about the problem. Within an hour, he learnt about Harry's lack of responses, his lack of care about his well-being, how little he ate, his nightmares, his off-hand comments about his relatives, how he expected nothing from them for Christmas and how dejected he seemed on the train at the end of term.
Bill actually did know about the Christmas situation as Ron had wrote a letter asking what he should do. As a friend of Ron's, Bill was planning to send him a jumper and some treats anyway, just like he did with Lee, Angelina Johnson (another friend of the twins) Melanie, Andrea Sorning (a friend of Percy's), Tylere Barde (another friend of Percy's), Tonks, Sophie, Jamie and Millie. Hermione, Draco and Neville got some as well because they had been mentioned a lot in Ron's letters.
Horrified, Bill learnt all about the trouble that Ron and his friends had found themselves in last year. He informed Ron that they would be talking about that at a later date and then sent the three of to bed. As predicted, they were crestfallen and started to riot. Gently, Bill reminded them that they would need to wake up early to catch the night bus, which cheered them up almost instantly.
When they got to the creepily identical street of Privet Drive in Surrey, Bill shared his worries with the woman who had come to the door. Instead of answering him though, she shrieked for her husband to come to the door. He then asked if they could take him out for the day and they could even go school shopping as the school list had been delivered that morning. The three younger kids were all disgusted to learn that the family were refusing to let the boy go back to Hogwarts. Hiding his own irritation, he politely let them know that Harry needed some form of magical education or he could turn into an obscurial, which would lead to his own and other's demises. The couple turned ashen but before he could explain, they declared that Bill would have to take him. All they had taken from Bill's statement was that Harry was a threat to their safety and therefore would have to get rid of him. They watched as the man marched up the stairs and screamed at Harry. George pointed out that they could see Harry in the window of the upstairs window- the window with bars on- before he disappeared. No more than two minutes later, they were walking away from the house with each of them holding something of Harry's rather small set of belongings.
Instead of a day out, he takes them home where he has to awkwardly explain to Dad that Harry isn't a guest and will be living with them now. His father took it well and conversed with the boy himself about rubber ducks. That was why he was so surprised when he was confronted by his father while the kids were playing quidditch in the garden.
"As great as it would be to have the boy around, I'm in no state to look after him," Arthur started in a disapproving tone.
"I don't expect you to. I saw that he was struggling at home and I brought him here. I'll be using my money to look after him so it won't affect you and I will be the one to look after him."
"Don't be ridiculous Bill. You're way to young to be looking after a child, let alone a twelve year old. You're only what? Twenty?"
Bill couldn't believe what he was hearing. He could tell that his father was being serious so that meant that Arthur Weasley really had no idea that Bill had been raising his kids for eleven years.
He was genuinely speechless but Ginny, who was very protective of her big brothers, spoke for him, "Seriously Arthur? Has it just slipped your notice how Bill has been taking care of us for...how long? I know it is all I can remember but Charlie says that he didn't always." Ginny turned around to Fred and George, who were standing behind her with angry expressions marring their usually joyful faces.
"He's been doing it since the day Mum died, Gin."
"Yeah. There you have it. Bill is more than equipped to look after Harry because he raised us. We certainly saw him more than we saw you," she murmered.
Bill had snapped out of his shocked state at that point, "Ginerva! That is unfair. We needed someone to earn money so that we could survive. I'm grateful for you standing up for me but I need you to apologise."
"Sorry Arthur," she mumbled unapologetically.
"Ginerva," he chastised sternly.
"I'm not sorry! We see him every once in a while and have to pretend like our last bio parent didn't just leave us. Did you know that I was confused as a kid because I thought that you were my father? I just assumed that us calling him 'Dad' was like us calling him Uncle or Aunt. That's why I call you BIlly Goat. I was coming up with my own term for it. All I said was the truth Bill. What if you weren't there for us? We'd have had no one."
"I think you're being overdramatic kids. Bill was at Hogwarts most of the time so you barely saw him. If anyone else should get credit, it should be Aunt Tessie."
The kitchen was filled with an uncomfortable silence that no one dared to break.
"...Dad. Did you never realise that Tessie wasn't here?" Fred questioned incredulously.
"What are you talking about George?"
Bill sighed heavily but didn't bother correcting him, "Dad... Tessie never came to watch the kids."
"Then who did?" Arthur asked in disbelief.
"Bill," Ginny cut in sharply.
"Impossible, he was at Hogwarts," Arthur shook his head.
"He came back at night time and stayed with us until it was time for you to come home," Percy answered from where he had walked into the room.
"He was the one to cook all of our meals," Fred added.
"Bill was the one who got us ready for bed and up in the morning," George followed.
"Bill was the one who taught us and punished us when we were bad and gave us our chores for the day," Ron responded from where he was walking into the kitchen.
"He gave us our Christmas presents off 'you'," Ginny said disdainfully.
"He got to know our friends and organised it all with Auntie Andi and Uncle Teddy," Ron murmured.
Bill felt both touched and embarrassed.
"So yes, he can look after another child if that's what he wants to do. He's responsible enough."
"So that's what we're talking about? Harry," Ron concluded with furrowed brows.
Ignoring him, Arthur continued, "I'd hardly call it responsible. Bill left you all without appropriate adult supervision."
"Appropriate! I suppose you mean Tessie," Ginny scoffed. "That woman is vile and she is the definition of everything a person shouldn't be."
"Ginerva! Don't say that about your aunt. She is a good woman. Maybe you wouldn't be this disrespectful if she had raised you instead of a rebellious teenager."
No one said anything as Ginny lunged. Bill hadn't managed to grab her in time so she socked him in the jaw. "How dare you!" she seethed in quiet rage as she grabbed him by the shirt collar. "Bill was amazing and that pretentious snob isn't my aunt nor my great aunt. She never has been. Especially after I heard what she used to say to my brothers. Especially Charlie."
Bill pulled her back and picked her up as she kicked and screamed. "LET ME GO, BILL!"
"Gin, it's not going to do anything. I know you're upset about Charlie but don't hurt your dad over it. Save it for Tessie. It's okay. Your okay," he whispered soothingly into her ear. It took him a good few minutes to calm her down and during that time, no one said anything. "Hey, why don't you go see what Harry's doing?" Ginny responded by cingling to his shirt tighter. The message was clear: she wasn't going anywhere. "Where is he anyway?"
"He's outside in the orchard. I told him that I was going to ask if anyone wanted to play a game of quidditch," Ron replied numbly.
"That's a great idea. Why don't you all go and have some fun. It's such a lovely day for it." When he was rewarded with no reply, he carried on," Perce, you've been studying all day, it would do you some good to take a break. Can you please join them Fred and George? I know that you were focusing on some of your newer experiments but you know how bad the situation with Harry is. You'll try to make him feel more comfortable here, won't you? You as well Ron. Harry will be wondering where you are....Well?" he finished with an eyebrow raise. They all looked at each other before trailing out unhappily.
"You okay now, Gin? Do you want to try calling Charlie?"
The girl nodded and the pair walked into the living room, leaving behind their father to wonder how it had gotten so messed up.
Fortunately, Charlie wasn't working so he picked up straight away. "Hey Big Dragon, Little Kitten. What's up?"
Ginny snorted wetly, "will you ever stop calling me that?"
Charlie played off his alarm well but Bill knew better. He gave their little sister a cheeky grin, "Never. It fits so well. Don't you think Big Dragon?"
"Oh yeah. Ginerva sounds way too much like Minerva for us to stop," Bill responded with the same mischievous smile.
"I still don't get what you're on about when you say that," she mumbled.
"You will next year, believe me," Bill ran his fingers through her hair absentmindedly as they talked, braiding it.
"So, what did you want to talk about?"
"...I...I punched Arthur,"
"You punched him?" Charlie was clearly shocked. He scrunched up his face, "I don't understand. Why would you...?"
"He was being an idiot about Harry living here."
"Harry? Harry who? Do you mean Ron's new friend?" Charlie questioned, confused.
"Yeah. Bill, Ron and the twins picked him up this morning. They've not really told me or Percy anything but I think he was in trouble?"
"His relatives were trying to stop him from going to Hogwarts," Bill interrupted, which cause the other two to pale. "I mentioned that him not having a magical explanation could cause him to become an obscurial- not that the two knew what that was. I mentioned how it could lead to his own death or others and they immediately decided to get rid of him without letting me explain. Harry didn't seem to care and they did it so carelessly...It can't have been good environment for Harry. I brought him here. I'm going to get custody of him."
"Shit that's...That's terrible. What do you mean by custody? Adoption?" Charlie wondered.
"Maybe," Bill replied truthfully. "If Harry's okay with that then I'd be up for it. We'll see though."
"That's cool. What would he be to us then?"
"What do you mean?" Bill queried.
"Well, would he be our brother or our nephew?"
"Oh yeah. He's got a point, Bill," Ginny pointed out.
Bill just sighed in exhaustion, "didn't you want to talk to Charlie? You seemed to have cheered up."
Ginny just grumbled before turning back to the fire, "anyway, Arthur was being all bitchy about it-"
"Ginny," he warned.
"He called Bill irresponsible and then, you'll never get what he said."
"What?" Charlie asked, wanting to know more.
"He told Bill, our Bill, that he was too young to raise a child."
"..."
"Charlie! Stop laughing!" Bill couldn't believe his kids sometimes.
"I can't help it. I mean, come on. The irony."
"Yeah, it's pretty funny," Ginny agreed.
"Is that why you punched him?" Charlie inquired, bringing the sombre mood back.
"No...He said some things...about Tessie." Bill heard Charlie inhale sharply. "He mentioned that Tessie would have raised us a lot better than Bill did because she's not a rebellious teenager, as if he knew anything about Bill as a teenager!"
Charlie took a few deep breaths to calm himself down. Eventually, all he could let out was a little, "oh."
"I'm sorry, I just got so mad. I still can't forget when I was told about how she said those things to you. I have to admit though, it was nice to get him in the jaw."
"Enjoy it while it lasts because your not doing it again. He said...a lot of things so I'll let you off a little but you're still being punished."
"What is my punishment?"
"Well, you seem to have forgotten the non-violence rule so I'll have to remind you."
"What?! Aww come on, Billy Goat. Please." She looked at him with sad eyes, clearly trying to get out of one of Bill's infamous lectures but he just rolled his own. She tried to get Charlie to help her but he was just laughing in the background.
It was almost a week by time Bill felt comfortable leaving the kids home alone with Arthur.
He was sleeping and Percy had strict instructions to keep an eye on his younger siblings, especially Ginny.
Bill needed to get everything sorted at Gringotts with Harry so the two had apparated to London.
They didn't go straight into Gringotts though. He had taken them into a muggle café and they sat in a booth. He surreptitiously put up muffling charms so that they could talk easier. They both ordered a cup of tea and a piece of cake.
"I'm sorry we've not really talked about your situation so far, Harry. The kids can be quite nosy," Bill apologised.
"That's okay. Have...Did I do something wrong?"
Bill's eyebrows drew together, "not that I know of. Why?"
"Since I came to The Burrow, everyone seems a little mad when they see me," Harry told him unsurely.
"Oh...Oh! No. That's not your fault, Harry. They're not mad at you. They're mad at my father. It's complicated. If you want the full story though, I'd ask me, Ron or Percy. Actually, maybe just me. They'll probably say something biased. I wanted to talk to you about how your relatives treated you, if you're ready for that."
"I guess so," Harry shrugged.
"You've been there since your parents died?"
"I think so."
"Do you like your aunt and uncle?"
"Not really. They're not very nice people and they lie."
"What have they lied about?"
"They told me that my parents died in a car crash. They said that they were unemployed and lazy. They never told me that I was magic so I just thought that the strange things were happening because I was a freak. They told everyone that I was troubled and disturbed. They made me pretend like I didn't exist when guests were over. Things like that."
"Were there always bars on your window?"
"No, they added them this year after an incident with a house elf. I was only given the room after my Hogwarts letter came."
"Where did you sleep before that, Harry?"
Harry blushed, "my cupboard."
"Your cupboard?" Bill repeated, trying to hide his horror.
"Yeah. I was kept in the cupboard under the stairs."
After an exhausting and deeply upsetting story, they arrived at their destination.
Bill took Harry to Gringotts to blood adopt the boy as his son. The two had talked about it in the café and had discussed that it was the best option. This way, not only did Harry get a loving parent who was alive to care for him like he deserved but he also couldn't be taken away from their family. Harry was originally a little unsure about being Bill's child because it would make Ron, Fred, George and Percy his uncles, which would be a little strange for him. Bill discussed their family dynamic and how his siblings were more like his kids. Besides, if he needed to be worried about anything, it would be having Ginny as an aunt because that girl was overprotective.
Harry decided to change his name to Harry James Potter-Weasley because the name Harry Potter was so well-known that he felt a change would be good for him.
Even though Bill was a trusted ally to the goblin kingdom and goblins themselves didn't care much for wizarding norms, it was ridiculously easy to legally change the boy's name and blood adopt him. Apparently, he was illegally placed with his muggle relatives because it was against the law to place a known-magical child with muggles as it breaks the statue of secrecy.
Harry's appearance changed to the point that his hair turned auburn. That wasn't the only thing that changed though. Harry's vision apparently became blurrier and the boy took his glasses off in confusion. Miraculously, the boy no longer needed to wear glasses because his eye sight had been repaired.
Harry admitted that he was a little disappointed that he no longer looked as much like his other father but joked that at least he could probably brush his hair now.
Bill also got his new son's scar checked by Gringotts healers. Bill had worked around curses long enough to know that his scar didn't look like a normal one and that normal scars weren't supposed to hurt as much as Harry's. Bill couldn't be more relieved when it was found that the boy was a bloody horcrux. Luckily, the dark magic could be removed without endangering Harry. Apparently, the soul shard belonged to Lord Voldemort which made the most sense but was horrifying to think about. The goblin healers offered him the opportunity to get rid of the scar and Harry accepted because he didn't like it like he used to.
"Well?"
Surprisingly, it was Percy who asked the question.
Bill smiled at them. "It's official. We have another Weasley in the family!" he cheered as he held Harry's arm up the air in celebration.
He was met with claps and yells of happiness. Fred and George pulled a banner out that had the words 'It's a Harry' written in green and black letters.
Bill chuckled at them all. "Really guys? See what you're family is like, Harry. You're going to have to put up with them for as long as you'll live. They'll make sure of that."
Harry just smiled at him.
As always, September came to soon.
He sent the six of them off with a smile and a wave.
As all his kids had gone to Hogwarts or, in Charlie's case, moved out, Bill left Gringotts to work in Egypt. He knew that it would be a good opportunity to learn more. When he left Hogwarts, he had put of his dreams to focus more on being there for his family. As long as he got the Christmas Holidays off, he would get to see his kids.
He sent the kids a letter each every few days that were accompanied by their favourite food/snack and a new invention of his. He often floo called them.
It wasn't long before he got to see them in person. Harry was playing the first game of the season as the Gryffindor seeker and Bill went to all his kids games. Unfortunately, the match didn't go as expected as a rogue bludger started going after Harry. He tried to get Hooch to call of the match but she overruled him. It ended up with Harry on the floor with a broken arm. Bill had rushed down to reach his kid only to see that obnoxious prick, Lockheart, try to 'fix' his arm only to get rid of all of his bones. Bill grimaced at the thought of Harry having to re-grow his bones and drink skelegro.
In his fury, he went to the headmaster as soon as Harry was given a sleeping potion. The old fool refused to do anything about his own incompetent teacher! Instead, the man wanted to talk about Harry's living situation and why he shouldn't 'let the boy run away from his family'.
He went straight to the board of governors and tried to rally the parents against the new DADA professor. Through his siblings floo calls, he learnt about everything that was going on at Hogwarts and reported it to the Daily Prophet. No matter how many times he went to the headmaster, the man assured him that things at Hogwarts were fine.
At least McGonagall put a stop to the bullying and rumours surrounding Harry and his siblings. Since Harry had only been blood-adopted this year, the current theory was that he had inherited his parsletongue through The Weasleys and it was all part of their grand plan to open the chamber. It didn't help that Bill's blatant rule-breaking during his Hogwarts years (that had eventually been revealed somehow) showed that his family thought that they were above the rules and could deceive even the professors.
The worst part of the entire year was when his kids (minus Charlie and Ginny) and their friends wrote to him about Ginny a few weeks before Christmas. Apparently, she was worrying them as she wasn't acting like herself. She was quiet and would avoid them or she would snap at them and threaten them. He used the floo to get to the hospital wing with Madam Pomfrey's, or Poppy's (as she asked him to call her now), permission. She gave the girl an examination but she was a medi-witch and not a mind healer so it didn't help. Thanking her, Bill went to Minerva McGonagall, Ginny's head of house, and requested to take her out of Hogwarts until he could figure out why she was acting that way.
He took her to the healers at Gringotts who found that she was being possessed by a dark artefact. Instead of sending her back to school, he took her to Andy and Ted's. Bill still had to work in Egypt so the girl stayed with them until the start of the Christmas Holidays. Bill visited her as soon as work ended and stayed with her until he had to go back. The poor girl was struggling and needed a stress-free environment. He knew she would be looked after by her Auntie and Uncle.
After he had taken the girl to Andy and Ted's, he went back to Hogwarts. He looked around her part of the dorm room (with permission from her worried room mates) and came across a black diary with black pages. He didn't recognise the book but, as a curse breaker, he went with his gut feeling and took the book to the curse breakers at Gringotts. He helped them to study and eventually destroy the cursed object, which they recognised as a horcrux. In their observations, they learnt that Rubeus Hagrid, the gamekeeper and Keeper of Keys and Grounds of Hogwarts, was innocent of the accusations that were made against him years ago and therefore took the information to the DMLE. After a large debate, they freed Hagrid of his no-magic ban, provided he take a remedial course and pass a test to use a new wand. He knew that Harry and Hermione were planning to help the half-giant.
The Christmas holidays were a joyous affair to make up for all the pain caused in the first term back. As usual, they had Christmas at Andi's and Ted's and New Years at The Burrow. This year those invited were: The Tonks family, The Weasley family, Hermione and her parents (Emma and Dan), Draco, Luna Lovegood, Neville, Cedric Diggory, Jamie, Sophie, Millie, Melanie, Andrea, Tylere, Lee and Angelina.
It was definitely bigger and more expensive that year but it was definitely worth it.
Ginny went back to Hogwarts after the holidays with the promise to write to him and her aunt and uncle.
By the end of the year, they learnt that Draco was the one who sent Dobby and he promised not to do it again.
During the summer, the family went to visit Charlie in Romania. Initially, Bill wanted to use the lottery money that Dad had won as savings or to buy things that they needed but Dad had brought the idea up and the kids had gotten so excited that he couldn't say no. His father assured him that it was fine and that they could manage financially as Bill contributed to the family with his own salary and Charlie (despite Bill's adamant protests) sent 10% of his pay check to go towards the things that they needed.
Charlie had met Harry once before at the Christmas Party but he was thrilled to spend more time with his nephew/brother. They had a great time and all the kids loved seeing the dragons. They even had their picture taken in the Daily Prophet.
Terror filled Bill when he heard the news that Sirius Black had escaped Azkaban. He increased the already secure wards around the burrow and made sure that people proved their identities when they came over. If Sirius Black could be the first ever person to escape Azkaban, he wasn't risking his family's safety by assuming that the man couldn't make polyjuice potion.
That year, Hermione had gotten a half-Kneazle, who was named Crookshanks. It had caused her and Ron to get into several debates already that year. Although he put protection wards on the rat which would prevent attacks from kneazles or cats, he let Ron know Scabbers would be fine. The rat had been in their family for twelve years and rats weren't supposed to live that long. That meant that either Scabbers is tough so he should be fine against a cat or that he will probably die soon anyway.
As soon as he heard about dementors on the train, he was worried. He hated how the kid's lack of safety had already started.
After hearing about his worries over a floo call, Fred and George hesitantly showed him a magical artefact called 'The Marauders Map'. It was supposed to show you what everyone was doing and where they were doing it every minute of everyday. They were considering letting Harry have it to keep himself safe but after all the trouble him and his friends had gotten themselves into the past few years, they decided to keep it so that they could keep their siblings and family friends from harm. Bill felt pride swell in his heart again. Fred and George were such good, sweet, caring kids.
At one point, Bill learnt that Sirius Black had broken into the Slytherin dormitories and threatened Ron's life. As per usual, Dumbledore did nothing. He went to the Prophet as well as the DMLE. At least they sent more that dementors this time. The frequent aurors patrolling around Hogwarts was the only reason that he didn't pull the kids out of Hogwarts then and there.
His fears got even worse when the twins learnt that Peter Pettigrew was walking around on the map and went to investigate it. They had seen the name near Ron's bed a lot of the time and had only recently learnt that Pettigrew was supposed to be a dead man. They were caught by Professor Lupin and he confiscated the map. He scolded them but they told him their doubts. No matter what though, he was adamant that they couldn't have the map back.
In a complete plot twist, Ron, Harry, Fred, George, Draco, Hermione and Neville learnt that Sirius Black was innocent. Bill was filled in on everything and decided to get into contact with Harry's godfather. Sirius' innocence had been proven and he was seeing a mind healer as well as suing the British Ministry of Magic. It almost didn't happen as Pettigrew almost escaped but with seven kids there, no one could stop him. Draco had also helpfully pointed out the usefulness of the anti-animagi binding charm.
Sirius was happy for his godson to live with his new family but they did set up regular meetings between the two. Sirius became part of the family almost instantly and Remus was dragged along for the ride. Sirius accessed his vault and bought a new, ward-protected property so that he had somewhere comfortable to stay. They place was large but artistic and Sirius said that he had fallen in love with his new home. They decided that Harry would stay with him for a week or two during the summer holidays and two (and Remus) could visit each other as much as they wanted.
As a celebration for him being innocent, Sirius treated them to as many tickets for the world cup as they wanted. They tried to refuse his generosity but he told them that his money wasn't earnt happily. It was the result of years of abuse from his family and then years of imprisonment for a crime that he didn't commit when he should have been grieving his brother. He also claimed that James Potter would never let him live it down when he died if he didn't let his son go to his first quidditch game and it was only fair that Harry's friends, his family and their friends went.
He had also reinstated Andy, Ted and Nymphadora into the Black family so they were paid for as well.
As the head of the House of Black, he could take Draco in and cut off contact with the Malfoy family, just as it said in the marriage contract between Lucius Malfoy and his Wife Narcissa Malfoy née Black. That was how Draco came to live with his second cousin Sirius. Narcissa loved her child so she got a divorce and moved in with them. In the marriage contract, it also said that their child would get everything in the divorce. That meant that Dobby, along with other house elves, lived with them as well.
Overall, Sirius paid for himself, Andromeda's family, Draco, The Weasleys, Hermione, Lee, Angelina, Melanie, Andrea, Tylere, Jamie, Sophie, Millie, Remus, Luna, Neville and surprisingly enough, Minerva McGonagall.
They were joined by Cedric Diggory and his father, Amos.
They all had a great time but the fun went downhill very fast.
The adults protected the kids first and foremost. Everyone who could apparate grabbed a kid and apparated back to the burrow before those older than seventeen returned to help out.
Bill came back in time to see a house elf be relieved of her duties for...casting the dark mark. Are these people stupid? The house elf obviously didn't do it and that punishment was so permanent and severe. He knew how deadly it was to be a house-elf with no bond so he offered her a bond with him. Her name was Winky and she came to live with them.
Percy had been considering working in the ministry and Bill had warned him about how corrupt it was but ultimately told him that it was his decision. Percy decided to change it from the inside though.
Harry's name went in the tournament for the Triwizard tournament and Bill decided that he had had too many heart attacks in his short life. Bill, along with Sirius, Charlie, Jamie, Millie, Sophie, Percy, Remus, McGonagall, Andromeda, Ted, Nymphadora, Augusta Longbottom, Amos Diggory and Narcissa, went to Dumbledore, Bagman and Crouch to protest his involvement to no avail. With no other choice, Bill quit his job and transfers back to Gringotts so that he was closer. His bosses understood and let him know that he was welcome back if there was a position open.
It was a relief for Bill that the kids were sticking to their roles as Harry's uncles and aunt / older siblings (Ginny claimed the older sibling title as well because she was taller than the boy and was more protective). They didn't leave him to struggle once. The kid's friends stood by him too. Bill tried to help him with the tasks because he wouldn't have Harry dying or loosing his magic due to a stupid competition that he didn't even put his own name in. Bill even encouraged Harry to try to make friends with everyone who wasn't rude to him.
Even though he had already done so much for them already, Sirius insisted on buying the kids dress robes because they needed them. Honestly, Sirius was more like the rich uncle of the family and he had claimed it himself when he found out that Andy and Ted had 'Uncle' and 'Auntie' titles.
After Ron complained about Hermione having a date for the Yule ball and Harry not knowing who to invite, he helped them to figure out their options. Harry decided to take Luna because they had become good friends. She was their neighbour and a girl in Ginny's year but Bill had invited her to their Christmas and New Years celebrations because of something that Fred and George had mentioned back in Luna's first year.
They had noticed that people were picking on a first year in their house and decided to put an end themselves. Unfortunately, it hadn't stopped people from excluding her so they included her in things with their own friend group. They had invited the girl to the celebrations and introduced her to Ginny.
Ultimately, Ron decided not to take anyone to the ball because Charlie's openness about his sexual and romantic attraction, or lack thereof, meant that Ron didn't feel like he needed a date. He knew that he would be unhappy with whoever he took because they wouldn't be Hermione. He had talked it out with Bill and they had realised that he loved her. The boy spent the evening with Harry and Luna instead. Though Luna and Harry danced together a lot, Luna made most of the dances three-person dances so that he could join in.
The two also hung out with Neville and Ginny, who decided to go together and Draco, who had a date called Astoria. The seven, Hermione and Krum had a great time that evening, despite Ron's jealousy.
The next task had been one in the great lake. Ron had been taken, against his will, to be put under a giant body of water. Bill was furious that not one but two of his brothers were put in harm's way.
A few months later, Hermione broke up with Krum and Ron confessed his feelings to her. Harry, Fred, George and Ginny helped the boy to plan a perfect date for the pair. It was planned in the early summer, when it would be warmer. They sat on a blanket on a patch of grass near Hogwarts. They chose an area that people tended to avoid and then put temporary repulson charms. It was a study date where they could read together a book that he knew that she'd never read while eating a lunch of all of their favourite foods. (It was years later, at a time when they were happily married, when she revealed that she had read the book during one of her summers but thought that he was really sweet.)
The date was a success and they had already started planning the next one. (It was at the Shrieking Shack, where they had done it up as a hang out space for them all because it was their special place. It reminded her of when he was taken by Sirius because she was so terrified that she would loose the first boy she loved. It reminded him of how brilliant she was because of everythuing that she did in their third year, as well as their other years.)
During the last task, that was a dangerous, deadly maze, the Weasleys held their breath as Harry entered. It was quite a lot of time later when Harry reappeared. It took Bill two seconds to realise that Harry was crying over the dead body of Cedric Diggory. He leapt over chairs and sprinted over to his kid.
"Harry. It's okay. Shh, shh. It's okay, Little Deer. It's okay," he comforted as he picked the kid up in his arms and held him while he sobbed. "Amos! It's Cedric. I'm so sorry. He's dead." The man himself was already coming down and shouting with despair. Despite coming close many times, Bill had never lost one of his children. He couldn't imagine the man's pain. He shuffled the boy under one arm and brought the older man into a hug. As far as he was aware, Amos had no one to comfort him. His wife had died years agon and Cedric...He needed someone and that someone would be Bill.
It wasn't even Ron's fifth year at Hogwarts when he made one of the best decisions in his life.
The school had failed them all so much that Bill had lost all of his trust in it. His kids wouldn't be safe if they went there. No one would.
With Voldemort back, Bill would be surprised if the kids had made it to graduation without at least one of them dying.
As an alternative (and mostly with Sirius' money as the man adamantly agreed with Bill), he hired tutors for Fred, George, Ron and Ginny. He also talked with Hermione's parents and got her pulled out as well as Draco, Neville, Lee, Luna, Angelina, Colin and Dennis Creevy (friends of Harry). All of them were taught by the same tutors as his kids. They weren't completely sure about being pulled out but were ultimately relieved when they learnt about the state of Hogwarts.
Katie Bell (a member of the Gryffindor Quidditch Team) and Cho Chang (a member of the Ravenclaw Quidditch Team) soon followed their example.
Slowly but surely, a lot of people were pulling their kids out of Hogwarts thanks to the decrees and lack of proper teaching.
The next generation were properly taught and fought Voldemort when the time came.
As the goblins had learnt about the Horcruxes, they had found more belonging to him.
When it was time for Voldemort to die for good, Harry wasn't the one to kill him like the prophecy foretold.
He didn't need to.