AN: A really rough oneshot I wrote in like an hour. It was a sort of plot bunny that was bouncing around my head. It is quite likely I'll add an extra one shot, so follow this story to see when it would be posted, if you like or check my profile or whatever.

Please read and review.

Thanks.

Fred and George shared a sad look, but they knew it was something they had to do. From what little they knew about Harry's home life, mainly coming from Ron, and from the brief look they had got of Harry's back, something rare considering the boy refused to get changed in the same place as them, they knew Harry needed help.

The twins knew that, but they weren't entirely sure how to do it, but they knew they needed help.

"We're doing the right thing Freddie." George whispered.

"I know that, I'm just sad that is something we have to do. We're thirteen, and we're acting more in interest for his safety than anyone else is. It's terrible!"

"I know, but for now, we have to do this."

Fred nodded as he sent the notes out.

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At six that evening, Fred and George were joined in the quidditch changing rooms by Katie Bell, Angelina Johnson, Alicia Spinnett and Oliver Wood. The four looked slightly cautious as they entered, probably for good reason considering the twins penchant for pranks, but seeing the serious looks on their faces, they looked worried.

"What's happening?" Oliver asked.

"Why are we here?" Angelina said.

"Where's Harry?" Katie asked.

"Wait!" George called.

Everyone fell silent.

"Take a seat." Fred told them.

Seeing the lack of happiness on the faces of the usually jovial boys, they did as they were told. George and Fred shared a look, neither really knowing where to start, and how to convey the seriousness of the situation.

"We need your help." George said.

"It's about Harry." Fred told them.

"Is Harry okay?" Angelina asked, concerned.

"Is he up for playing quidditch?" Oliver asked, looking frantic.

"Harry's fine, for now, but we've learnt stuff about Harry's home life, and we don't know how to help him, but we know he needs help." Fred told them.

The group shared a look.

"Explain." Oliver commanded.

Fred and George shared a look, knowing it wasn't the appropriate time to take it in turns to talk. One of them would need to talk, they just weren't sure which one. After a few moments, George decided to take the lead.

"Okay, I'm going to speak, but leave all questions to the end, okay?"

The team nodded.

"So, we were talking to Ron the other week, you know with Christmas coming up, and Harry was sitting there, and had nothing to say, which was weird considering he was in the conversation and we were talking about what we were expecting for Christmas, right?"

The team nodded.

"So, when we tried to talk to him about it, he seemed uncomfortable, so we dropped it, we didn't want to make him nervous or anything, obviously. We asked Ron about it later, and he said that Harry's family doesn't like him so he probably hasn't celebrated Christmas before, so he didn't know anything about it. We found that weird, and we were sad but didn't really question it, right?"

The team nodded again.

George looked at Fred, and Fred sighed before he continued for George.

"So after practice the other day, we stayed out later, remember? We just wanted to fly, but when we came in, we saw Harry." Fred said.

"Unusual, Harry never changes with us." Oliver said.

"Exactly! We worked out why that is. So Harry didn't see us come in, he was facing the other way with his top off, but his back was..." Fred didn't know how to continue.

"His back was covered in scars, but like not normal scars." George said.

"What did they look like?" Katie asked, going extremely pale.

"So some of them were like little overlapping lines, kind of like he had been whipped, maybe with a belt buckle." Fred said.

The girls looked like they wanted to vomit, and Oliver was clenching his fists tightly, as if he was going to punch something.

"That's not the worst of it."

"How can it get worse?" Alicia asked, and George could see tears beginning to fall down her cheeks.

"Some of them were words, and there was no way he could have done them himself." Fred told them.

"They said freak, worthless... and stuff like that." George said.

"We need to get Harry out of there." Angelina said.

"We know, but we don't know how!"

The group fell silent for a while, and George and Fred decided to sit down too. Angelina's face was screwed up in concentration as she thought, and Katie seemed like she had an idea.

"We could speak to McGonagall?" Alicia suggested.

"What if she doesn't believe us?" Fred asked.

"Have you heard of a pensieve?" Angelina asked.

Everyone shook their heads.

"Basically you can put memories into it. If we show McGonagall your memories she'll have to believe us." Angelina explained.

"Yeah, but we spoke to Harry, and he said that he had spoken to Dumbledore about whether it would be possible for him to leave the Dursleys, and Dumbledore told him no." George told them.

"Did Harry mention how bad it was? I mean if they're physically abusing him, there's no way we can allow him to go back! Dumbledore shouldn't let him go back."

"You think Dumbledore doesn't know the extent?" Oliver asked.

"He can't, there's no way he'd allow it, right?" Angelina asked, and it seemed as if she was hoping that was for true.

"I guess, but what if he still says no?"

"Then we go to the press."

"Harry won't be happy about that." Fred said.

"Well, we don't actually have to go to the press, we just have to make Dumbledore think we will." Angelina explained.

"So, what we say we will, Dumbledore get's worried, and lets Harry leave his relatives?" Oliver asked.

"Exactly. Now we'll go to McGonagall in the morning." Angelina said.

"But where will Harry stay? He has no other relatives." George said.

Everyone paused for a moment. George was right. It was easy to forget that Harry was technically alone in the world, at least in terms of adults. He could speak to McGonagall about some things, but his mental well being and emotional needs were clearly not being met, at least by adults, his friends helped when they could.

"I have an idea." Katie said.

"What?" The team asked, pretty much in unison.

"I don't want to jinx it, but I'll talk to my parents tonight, and let you know, okay?"

The team nodded. Katie's family lived in Scotland, so if she owled her family soon, it would likely she would hear back the same night, or at least by morning.

"Great. We should go back up to the school." Oliver said, looking at the time on his watch.

"Licie, will you accompany me to the owlery?" Katie asked Alicia.

"Of course."

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"Mia honey, we have a letter from Katie!" Natasha Bell called to her wife.

"Coming!"

Mia and Natasha Bell were extremely proud and close to their daughter. Katie had been born through IVF done in the muggle world twelve years prior, and she had been the joy of their lives. They had wanted more children, but Mia, who had carried Katie had struggled through childbirth, and wouldn't be able to have any more and Natasha couldn't have kids with her job, just in case.

Mia joined her wife in the kitchen, pressing a kiss to her cheek as they opened the letter from Katie's owl Merlin.

Dear Mum and Ma,

I know this is a weird letter to be receiving, and I wouldn't be sending it if I could think of anything else, but I'm not sure who to turn to. As you know, this year I joined the Quidditch team, and I've spoken a bit about my team mates, including Harry Potter. Fred and George Weasley recently found out Harry's not treated well at home, and this matches up with a lot of clues about Harry that I hadn't really put together.

In the morning, the Quidditch team, minus Harry, are going to speak to Professor McGonagall about Harry's abuse, as we are extremely worried about what would happen to Harry if he went back. We don't want him to return to an abusive household, obviously.

As Harry is Harry, we are worried about what would happen if he went into the wizarding adoption system, followers of you-know-who might try and get Harry. I think you know what I'm trying to imply, but I don't want to say it outright.

Please respond as soon as you can,

Katie xxx

Mia turned to look at her wife in shock, and was surprised to see Natasha had tears running down her face.

"Love, what do we do?" Mia asked.

"Would you be willing to... you know... adopt him?" Natasha asked.

Mia paused.

"It's a difficult decision, and we have wanted to adopt for a while."

"Yeah."

"I'd be willing, I mean we'd have to meet the boy first, but from what I've heard he is lovely young man."

"I've heard the same."

"His Mum was sweet, did you know her?" Mia asked.

"I think she was a couple of years younger than me, I might have even left Hogwarts by the time she arrived."

"I was a few years older, she was lovely. A prefect and head girl."

"Mmm."

"What shall we say to Katie?"

"Hmm."

The two discussed for a while before coming to the conclusion.

Dearest Katie,

Don't worry, we easily understood what you were suggesting, and we agree, we would be willing to adopt Harry Potter, although we'd like to get to know him first, and we'd want him to be okay with it too before we moved ahead with it.

As I'm a lawyer it would be easy for me to get Harry out of his relatives house and into ours, and I could bring a lawsuit against Professor Dumbledore if he were not to allow it for any reason.

I will floo Professor McGonagall in the morning at nine am, and try then to go and speak to her. If you could come with your friends at the same time that would be helpful. Let's leave Harry out of it at first, though it is likely we'll need to speak to him that day.

Love you,

Mum and Ma xxx

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Katie received the letter back from her parents at two am, and had to sneak into her fellow team mates rooms to show them. They were all quite surprised at that being the conclusion she had come to, but all were pleased with it nonetheless.

At eight in the morning, the six members of the team, Harry obviously excluded headed down to breakfast, and they were surprised to see that Harry was already there with Hermione.

"Hey guys." He said with a smile.

"Hi Harry, how are you doing?" Katie said with a smile.

"Good thanks, how are you?"

"Good good. What are you doing this morning?"

"Hermione and I are going to work on our charms essays in the library, Ron decided to sleep in."

"That's nice."

The eight of them continued to make conversation for a while before Harry had to slip off with his friend. Harry had been so sweet to them, and it was sad to think about how his life had been prior to Hogwarts. He never acted out in ways that some may expect, but rather he was polite, sweet and fiercely loyal. She was sure he had been abused however, Fred and George were pranksters, but they would never lie about anything to serious.

At quarter to nine, the group made their way to McGonagall's office, and Katie smiled when she could hear her Mum and Ma's tones as she reached the door. She gave a tentative knock and stepped back.

McGonagall opened the door, and looked down at them all sadly.

"Come in." She said softly, beckoning for them to enter.

The group did, and were surprised to see that Dumbledore was already in the room and he looked extremely grave.

"Now students, Mrs Bell and Healer Bell have just been telling us about your letter."

"Yeah." Katie said, sticking her chin up slightly.

"You understand this is a grave issue if it is true." Dumbledore said.

"It is true!" George Weasley cried.

"We saw, we can provide the memory!" Fred added.

Dumbledore surveyed the two carefully.

"If you would that would be helpful." Mrs Bell said.

Dumbledore nodded, and both Fred and George thought of the memory of Harry's back. Dumbledore took the memory from George, while McGonagall took it from Fred, and put it in a vial it for a moment.

"Shall we all see? I can make it project." Dumbledore said.

There was a general consensus of nods, and the memory began playing of George walking in on Harry and seeing his back after quidditch practice. Alicia vomited when she saw the state of Harry's back, and McGonagall vanished it with a flick of her wand, but it seemed as if she felt the same about it.

"I never realised." Dumbledore said, a tear falling from his eyes and down his grandfatherly face.

They quickly watched Fred's memory to make sure it was similar, before they were done.

"Katie, how about you go and find Harry for us and you two come back here, the rest of you, I will speak to you later this evening." McGonagall said.

A few of them looked as if they wanted to protest, but knowing the seriousness of the situation, they clearly decided against it. They all nodded, before leaving. Most of the team went back to Gryffindor tower, while Katie went looking for Harry.

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"Harry!" Katie called as she entered the library and quickly found him at a table near the front with his friend Hermione.

"Sssh!" Madam Pince whispered.

Katie pulled a face, but continued.

"I need you to come with me to McGonagall's office, you can bring Hermione too, if you want." Katie said, knowing Harry would be more comfortable with his best friend there.

"Why, what's going on?" He asked, confused.

Katie debated whether to say it, but she knew that Harry would be upset if she didn't.

"Fred and George found out about what the Dursleys did." She said plainly.

"What did the Dursleys do?" Harry asked shocked.

Harry gulped.

"They told McGonagall?"

"And Dumbledore. My Mum's a lawyer, and you won't be going back there."

"But Dumbledore said I had to, I asked him about it in my first week here!"

Katie hadn't been aware of that, not completely.

"Dumbledore didn't realise how bad it was Harry, but he does now."

Harry seemed upset.

"You won't be going back to the Dursleys."

"How can you be so sure? I have no other family!"

Katie didn't want to tell Harry that he would be moving in with her, likely being adopted by her family, just in case it didn't work out. What she did know however, was that Harry would never be going back to the Dursleys. Even if the adults tried to make them, the quidditch team would never let him.

"We have a plan for that, okay?"

"Okay." He said, softly, trusting his friend Katie.

"Good, now come on."

The three quickly made their way to McGonagall's office. The adults all looked at Harry sadly as he came into the room, and it made him lean back slightly.

"Hi Harry, we're Mrs and Mrs Bell, Katie's parents."

"Nice to meet you. This is my best friend Hermione Granger."

"Nice to meet you Hermione." Mrs and Mrs Bell said, each taking turns to shake her hand as they had done with Harry's.

"Now Mr Potter, Harry..." Dumbledore began.

Harry paled slightly.

"Mr Potter, were you physically abused at your relatives?" McGonagall asked.

Harry looked like he wanted to flee.

"Harry, if you could tell us it would be extremely helpful." Mrs Bell said.

Harry nodded slowly.

Things unfolded quickly after that, and Hermione had cried, and Katie's Ma, the healer, had checked Harry's back so they had physical proof, and Harry had explained some things about his life, including how he had slept in a cupboard under some stairs until his first Hogwarts letter had come, and how the Dursleys had attempted to beat the magic out of him.

Both Hermione and Katie had cried at that.

During the hours in McGonagall's office, Dumbledore explained he had been the one to put Harry with the Dursleys and he could be the one to transfer the guardianship.

"Who to?" Harry asked, cautiously and Hermione nodded vigorously, she wanted her friend to be safe.

Mrs and Healer Bell shared a look before carefully broaching the topic. They had been in the presence of Harry for a couple of hours, and they knew that even in the stressful situation they were in, that Harry was sweet, loyal, kind and he got on extremely well with Katie, they had shared jokes between them easily, not only as a distraction but because they also genuinely liked each other.

"With us, with Katie." Katie's Ma ended up saying.

"Really?" He asked with hopeful eyes.

"Really. You can come and visit at Christmas, and if you like it, then we'll adopt you."

Harry looked as if all his dreams had come true.

"Thank you."

Katie smiled, before hugging the boy she was sure would become her brother.

"Everything's going to be okay now Harry." Katie whispered.