Molly had done the whole Hogwarts send-off enough times to know a lost child when she saw one. Wayward brown hair seemed almost a little too mussed, bright green eyes a bit too large. A beautiful snowy-white owl was periodically giving a distressed hoot as if feeding off of its owner's frazzled state of mind. Muggle heads were swiveling at the sound and were beginning to stare. Small children were pointing and asking their mothers to go look at the 'pretty bird.'

A few minutes ago, she had seen him dropped off by a rather portly, neckless man who wore a nasty grin while mocking him. He'd left and the boy stood there, looking around for some sort of sign. Muggleborn first year then. She wondered how he'd even gotten supplies with guardians like that.

Ginny tugged at her sleeve.

"Mother," she whined with big eyes. "I want to go, it's no fair."

"In a few years," George- well, probably George- replied. "But remember, you've got to learn to wrestle a troll by then. Work on that head lock."

Ginny complained that she wasn't strong enough and that her arms were most certainly not long enough to fit around a troll's neck. Molly cuffed the most-likely George across the ear.

"Poppycock." The twins were going to be a handful this year as well it seemed. Molly turned to her youngest. "You needn't worry, dear."

In the corner of her eye she saw the little muggle-born boy ask a muggle guard for assistance. The poor dear. She had to help. Discreetly. No need to embarrass the child.

"Alright, crew," she announced rather loudly. Every little ginger head turned to look at her except Ron who was too busy gawping at a business man in a suit.

"Don't you think his robes are a little short?" Ron asked, turning to see the rest of his siblings staring at him. The tips of his ears turned pink. "What?"

He was ignored as the rest of the red-heads turned back to their mom.

"We're going to help that little boy over there, alright? He looks a little lost," Molly explained.

"I can go talk to him," Percy offered, puffing his chest. One of the twins smacked him

"Ever the prefect, eh, Perce?" The other one teased. Percy swung back at each of them, missing greatly. He wasn't very athletic and was always very serious.

"I think it's great that you're taking your prefect duties seriously, Percy," Molly soothed. "But we mustn't embarrass him. He has to come to us. Now everyone," five pairs of eyes watched her intently. "Just speak very loudly."

Molly herded her children, large trunks and all, passed where the boy was still having the discussion with a very confused guard.

"Very busy time, going back to Hogwarts!" She said loudly, supposedly to her children, but staring at the lost boy.

"Yes, mum!" One of the twins chirped in. "Can't wait to learn magic! "

Percy landed the squat this time and Molly heard a faint Don't talk about magic, you dolt .

But the boy hadn't heard. He must be rather dense. Definitely not a Ravenclaw.

She turned them around and the mob started walking in the other direction.

"Very busy indeed! The station's always packed with Muggles, of course it's busy!"

The little boy swung around quickly, taped up glasses near falling off the bridge of his nose. They'd gotten his attention. She made a swinging motion at Percy, pointing to his owl. He got the hint and her son quickly picked up the cage. He swung it around a little as if putting it on display.

A few Muggles looked over, but most important was the boy. He was now watching them with rapt attention, eyes fixed on the owl. He was adorable.

"Now, what's the platform number?" She asked just a little too loudly for his benefit. Ron rolled his eyes.

"Nine and three-quarters!" Ginny piped up loudly, probably excited to show off to the new wizarding boy. Her tone quickly changed. "Mom, can't I go…"

"You're not old enough, Ginny, now be quiet." Not the time or place for this conversation. Now to show the boy how to get to the train… "All right, Percy, you first."

One by one she sent her boys off, running straight into the brick pillar. The Muggles were all too engrossed in their own business to notice, but not the boy. In fact, he looked more confused. She held out her hand and stopped Ron, kneeling down.

"All right," she whispered. "Just wait a second, we need to show him how to get through and-"

"Mum, do we really have to help him?" He complained. Molly gave another quick cuff to the head of one of her sons.

"Yes, yes we do and- oh! Here he comes."

Molly stood up and put on a big smile, turning to the small, disheveled brunet.

"Excuse me," he said politely. Molly eagerly jumped in.

"Hello, dear," she said. "First time going to Hogwarts? Ron's a new student too."

She pointed to her son who awkwardly stood there, a little taller than the boy, sheepishly smiling at the new boy.

"Yes!" The boy's head bobbed up and down excitedly like a buoy. He started stammering. "I- I just don't- I just don't know how to-"

"How to get onto the platform?" she offered kindly down to him. He nodded enthusiastically again.

"Not to worry!" she reassured. The boy had begun to bite his bottom lip with nerves. The poor thing. He'd have to have Ron look after this one. She proceeded to give him a step by step guide to get on the platform. As she described running into the wall his eyes grew to the size of saucers.

"Go on now, before Ron," she encouraged gently.

"Er- okay," he said. He took a resistant step forward and hesitantly started to walk. Eventually, he took a deep breath and closed his eyes. With a surge of a mix of childhood bravery and foolishness, he lunged forward and broke out into a run. Molly realized that she had never asked for his name.

Not that it mattered, she was sure to get it from Ron who himself was confidently running towards the wall. A bit of manners from this new boy would do Ronald some good.

She took Ginny's hand and feeling good about her unconventional way of helping the boy, walked through to the platform with her daughter. Maybe one day the boy would come to be a good friend of the family, this moment creating a bond between the two boys. Molly had a penchant for picking up wayward children and, from the look of his current family, she would most certainly be adding this boy to her list of honorary family members.