The young healer was very pretty, with bouncy blonde hair and pink cheeks.
She was the new ward leader, surprisingly young but capable. She'd found a
restorative for my parents. She could promise me Ten minutes of sanity.
Five for Gran, five for me. Five precious minutes of might-have-been, alone
with my parents. Five minutes of the personality that they gave up for me.
Mum and Dad as they were supposed to be, before you-know-who went and took
them from me.
The ironic part about his taking them was that he actually left them just out of reach. I'd rather if he just finished them off altogether, like Harry's parents. He doesn't have to see his parents like this...crazed, insane. Would you rather have the constant, ignorable ache for a glass of water and learn to live with it, or have thirst beyond belief with the full, cold, refreshing glass just out of reach, day after day after day? Every time I think this I feel guilty. I never knew how it might have been.
But now, for five minutes I can see what I've been missing. Five minutes of Mum and Dad.
The wait seemed to last forever. It was the summer before my fourth year, when I could have been at the Quidditch World Cup. It was a tough decision. After all, couldn't the restorative be given after the Cup? Why now? But no. This was a once in a lifetime thing. It might not even work. But it had to, oh, it had too.
I waited and waited as Gran took her five minutes with her son and Daughter in law. My mother and father, the people who conceived, birthed, and raised me for my first two years of life. The people who "gave up their sanity for their only son" according to Gran. I would get to meet them at last. Finally, I would get a taste of that just-out-of-reach glass of cool thirst quenching water. I felt that if I could have this, I could better appreciate what they'd done. Why they were aurors. I had a bazillion questions in my mind, racing around. I didn't know what it was that I wanted to ask them, to tell them. Would they want to tell me how they met? Gran could tell me that. Life as an auror? Why waste breath on that...Did they realize that I'd been alone for most of my life, being compared to the ghost of the auror that survived attack after attack from you-know-who? My face reddened. At least twice a day I endured "you'll never be as good as your father" and "his father was a great wizard" from Gran.
Finally, the door opened and she emerged. She was as I never had seen her before, and probably never would again. Young, happy, but crying. Her normally stony, strict, bony expression was smiling, yet tears trailed down her cheeks. The vulture stuffed hat on her head trembled, and I saw that she was shaking. Were my parents that emotion provoking? What could have possibly been said between them to Make old Gran cry like that?
The blonde healer witch motioned for me to go in, tapping her watch. I jumped up and went in.
I'd never been alone with my parents before, but it was quite intimidating. After thinking up all those questions, what could I possible say??
I knew at once they were different. There was a sharpness in my dad's eyes and features, and my mother actually looked at me rather than through me.
"Neville." My mother breathed my name, like someone breathes when they are too stunned to speak. I'd never heard her talk at all before. Her voice was sweet and soft, a bit hoarse probably from disuse. When she was crazy, she either couldn't remember how to talk, or she couldn't.
I nodded at her awkwardly. She wouldn't stop looking at me, as if seeing me for the first time.
"Neville oh..." She took a gasp of a breath and looked near tears. "Oh Neville," she couldn't seem to muster the courage to say anything else. Either that or the restorative hadn't worked properly.
My father stood up, looking tall and Grave. "Son." He addressed me. "We're proud of you."
I just stared. How could they know anything about me? This was our first real meeting, after all.
"Thanks." I mumbled. "Did-Did Gran tell you about me?"
His mother nodded, sniffling. "Neville, could I...Hug you?" She was pink in the face. "You were just two years old last time I really saw you, I...understand it's been a long time..." She looked nervously to her husband, then held out one arm, nervous.
"Mum." I said. I'd been longing to say it to her, for her to hear it for real. I called out to her a thousand times a day, but she never heard, never knew me. I hugged her, and it was real. Not one of those phony "see you when I get back" sort of hugs, this was a true tear jerking, my mum is here for five minutes and I'll never be able to do this again sort of hug. My father put his arms around us both, strong and sad, and for that moment, I was happier than I'd ever been. I swore that the next time Ron complained about his Mum I'd smack him upside the head. I swore to keep this memory with me forever, no matter what. I swore that I loved my mother, sane or not.
She finally pulled back. "We don't have much time." She said, in her soft hoarse voice. My dad nodded. "Do you-Do you have any questions?" She stuttered in the exact same way I did when I was hesitant.
"Could you...tell me you love me?" I asked. My eyes were wet through now. If I wasn't careful, I'd be spilling them on her.
"I love you."
Her soft voice. I'll never forget. Kind. Loving. Motherly.
"I love you."
A strong voice. Sad. Firm. Intelligent.
"Tell us about you, Neville." She said, pulling me towards her. "Gran says you're a great wizard."
"But not as good as Dad." I said quickly, looking at him. He smiled.
"Not as good as me huh? Ask her about the time I made her vulture hat come to life...or when, in the third year, I melted my cauldron."
"You melted a cauldron?? I melt one at least once a month!" I was so excited by the idea that I was like him after all, I nearly fell of the bed where I sat next to Mum.
My mum laughed. "He only melted one. I melted them constantly. My parents made me get a job to pay for a new one every time I ruined one. Your Dad and I met over a potions study group."
My heart soared. "I'm good in Herbology though. It's my favorite. I got an O for the year. And in Defense against the Dark Arts, I vanished a boggart!"
They both looked impressed. For the first time in my life, they were proud of me.
"One minute," Frank said, looking at the clock. "Neville. I want you to know something."
I nodded solemnly, Sad that my visit was coming to an end.
"You are a great wizard. I have faith in you. Just know that whatever happens, we love you. Whether I know it or not, whether you know it or not. I wish...we could have given you a normal life."
I just stared. "I don't blame you." I said. But I did. I wished they had given me a normal life too.
My mum beamed. I wouldn't for the world, have broken her confidence in me. If, ever in there lives they had a moment of sanity and recalled their son, I wanted it to be a happy recollection.
"I love you." I told them, and with one last hug, they were gone.
The mediwitch entered and ushered me out, her blue eyes sad. Mine were sadder. I was glad that she didn't say anything to me. I don't think I could have answered. I wanted to remember every second of that first and last meeting, among all other meetings I'd ever had with them.
Gran and I never spoke to each other about our five minutes with them. She seemed content to leave me alone about it, and I certainly was curious but respectful. I was actually afraid of what they might have said. I was afraid of Gran telling them how bad a wizard I was. How I didn't do all my homework and didn't have any friends. How the only friends I did have didn't even hardly notice me.
Those five minutes, I saw for an instant what other kids saw every day. I saw for a moment what Harry missed out on forever. I tasted, however briefly, from that out of reach, thirst quenching cup of water.
The ironic part about his taking them was that he actually left them just out of reach. I'd rather if he just finished them off altogether, like Harry's parents. He doesn't have to see his parents like this...crazed, insane. Would you rather have the constant, ignorable ache for a glass of water and learn to live with it, or have thirst beyond belief with the full, cold, refreshing glass just out of reach, day after day after day? Every time I think this I feel guilty. I never knew how it might have been.
But now, for five minutes I can see what I've been missing. Five minutes of Mum and Dad.
The wait seemed to last forever. It was the summer before my fourth year, when I could have been at the Quidditch World Cup. It was a tough decision. After all, couldn't the restorative be given after the Cup? Why now? But no. This was a once in a lifetime thing. It might not even work. But it had to, oh, it had too.
I waited and waited as Gran took her five minutes with her son and Daughter in law. My mother and father, the people who conceived, birthed, and raised me for my first two years of life. The people who "gave up their sanity for their only son" according to Gran. I would get to meet them at last. Finally, I would get a taste of that just-out-of-reach glass of cool thirst quenching water. I felt that if I could have this, I could better appreciate what they'd done. Why they were aurors. I had a bazillion questions in my mind, racing around. I didn't know what it was that I wanted to ask them, to tell them. Would they want to tell me how they met? Gran could tell me that. Life as an auror? Why waste breath on that...Did they realize that I'd been alone for most of my life, being compared to the ghost of the auror that survived attack after attack from you-know-who? My face reddened. At least twice a day I endured "you'll never be as good as your father" and "his father was a great wizard" from Gran.
Finally, the door opened and she emerged. She was as I never had seen her before, and probably never would again. Young, happy, but crying. Her normally stony, strict, bony expression was smiling, yet tears trailed down her cheeks. The vulture stuffed hat on her head trembled, and I saw that she was shaking. Were my parents that emotion provoking? What could have possibly been said between them to Make old Gran cry like that?
The blonde healer witch motioned for me to go in, tapping her watch. I jumped up and went in.
I'd never been alone with my parents before, but it was quite intimidating. After thinking up all those questions, what could I possible say??
I knew at once they were different. There was a sharpness in my dad's eyes and features, and my mother actually looked at me rather than through me.
"Neville." My mother breathed my name, like someone breathes when they are too stunned to speak. I'd never heard her talk at all before. Her voice was sweet and soft, a bit hoarse probably from disuse. When she was crazy, she either couldn't remember how to talk, or she couldn't.
I nodded at her awkwardly. She wouldn't stop looking at me, as if seeing me for the first time.
"Neville oh..." She took a gasp of a breath and looked near tears. "Oh Neville," she couldn't seem to muster the courage to say anything else. Either that or the restorative hadn't worked properly.
My father stood up, looking tall and Grave. "Son." He addressed me. "We're proud of you."
I just stared. How could they know anything about me? This was our first real meeting, after all.
"Thanks." I mumbled. "Did-Did Gran tell you about me?"
His mother nodded, sniffling. "Neville, could I...Hug you?" She was pink in the face. "You were just two years old last time I really saw you, I...understand it's been a long time..." She looked nervously to her husband, then held out one arm, nervous.
"Mum." I said. I'd been longing to say it to her, for her to hear it for real. I called out to her a thousand times a day, but she never heard, never knew me. I hugged her, and it was real. Not one of those phony "see you when I get back" sort of hugs, this was a true tear jerking, my mum is here for five minutes and I'll never be able to do this again sort of hug. My father put his arms around us both, strong and sad, and for that moment, I was happier than I'd ever been. I swore that the next time Ron complained about his Mum I'd smack him upside the head. I swore to keep this memory with me forever, no matter what. I swore that I loved my mother, sane or not.
She finally pulled back. "We don't have much time." She said, in her soft hoarse voice. My dad nodded. "Do you-Do you have any questions?" She stuttered in the exact same way I did when I was hesitant.
"Could you...tell me you love me?" I asked. My eyes were wet through now. If I wasn't careful, I'd be spilling them on her.
"I love you."
Her soft voice. I'll never forget. Kind. Loving. Motherly.
"I love you."
A strong voice. Sad. Firm. Intelligent.
"Tell us about you, Neville." She said, pulling me towards her. "Gran says you're a great wizard."
"But not as good as Dad." I said quickly, looking at him. He smiled.
"Not as good as me huh? Ask her about the time I made her vulture hat come to life...or when, in the third year, I melted my cauldron."
"You melted a cauldron?? I melt one at least once a month!" I was so excited by the idea that I was like him after all, I nearly fell of the bed where I sat next to Mum.
My mum laughed. "He only melted one. I melted them constantly. My parents made me get a job to pay for a new one every time I ruined one. Your Dad and I met over a potions study group."
My heart soared. "I'm good in Herbology though. It's my favorite. I got an O for the year. And in Defense against the Dark Arts, I vanished a boggart!"
They both looked impressed. For the first time in my life, they were proud of me.
"One minute," Frank said, looking at the clock. "Neville. I want you to know something."
I nodded solemnly, Sad that my visit was coming to an end.
"You are a great wizard. I have faith in you. Just know that whatever happens, we love you. Whether I know it or not, whether you know it or not. I wish...we could have given you a normal life."
I just stared. "I don't blame you." I said. But I did. I wished they had given me a normal life too.
My mum beamed. I wouldn't for the world, have broken her confidence in me. If, ever in there lives they had a moment of sanity and recalled their son, I wanted it to be a happy recollection.
"I love you." I told them, and with one last hug, they were gone.
The mediwitch entered and ushered me out, her blue eyes sad. Mine were sadder. I was glad that she didn't say anything to me. I don't think I could have answered. I wanted to remember every second of that first and last meeting, among all other meetings I'd ever had with them.
Gran and I never spoke to each other about our five minutes with them. She seemed content to leave me alone about it, and I certainly was curious but respectful. I was actually afraid of what they might have said. I was afraid of Gran telling them how bad a wizard I was. How I didn't do all my homework and didn't have any friends. How the only friends I did have didn't even hardly notice me.
Those five minutes, I saw for an instant what other kids saw every day. I saw for a moment what Harry missed out on forever. I tasted, however briefly, from that out of reach, thirst quenching cup of water.