Harry turned around and looked at his family for what he realistically knew could be the last time. This was not going to be an easy fight, even with Ron as his partner. He set his bags by the door again. He could apparate two minutes later.
He turned to his wife, his beautiful Ginny, who was standing, baby Lily in her arms. Ginny raised an eyebrow, obviously trying to be brave, stepped closer to her husband. "Its pointless to remind you that you are a senior auror and could easily send someone else?"
Harry smiled and touched her hair and then her lips. "I love you. You know that?"
Ginny chuckled ruefully and shook her head. "One thing I have never doubted."
Harry looked at his watch. He also knew that standing here was not going to make this any easier.
Before he could decide who to hug next he found two boys latched onto each of his legs.
He knelt down and picked up both his boys. "What is it Albus." He asked, making sure he kept his voice soothing.
"Why daddy go? Al be good. Dad no go. Al be good." Albus said, his eyes tearing up.
Harry almost physically recoiled with shock. He held James tightly for a minute and then put him down and knelt before both boys still holding the almost three year old Al. "Listen boys." He said, making sure to include Teddy who was standing in the back trying to contain his own emotions and tears, "You three, Lily, mommy, Uncle Ron, Aunt Hermione, Hugo and Rose are my life. You have done absolutely nothing to make daddy leave. Daddy is going to help fight the bad people." He paused but felt it necessary to reaffirm, looking at everyone in the room. "Dad loves you all."
Harry saw Ginny smirk slightly and knew why. Harry had never been an incredibly expressive person about his love. But he couldn't leave knowing that he might not come back with his sons thinking they were to blame for his leaving.
"Dad, you fought enough! Stay here. Stay with us!" James said, his eyes also tearing up.
Harry laughed slightly. He again caught Ginny's eye.
"Let me tell you a story. When dad and mommy were growing up, there was evil everywhere." He said, his eyes dark as he went back to his childhood where Voldemort predominated.
James and Albus gasped. Teddy had heard this story before. Harry saw as his godson thought about when he had first heard about Voldemort…. When Teddy at age 7 had asked why his Grandma 'Dromeda and Harry and Gin-Gin were taking him to school and not his Mummy and Daddy.
"And it took a lot of pain and sacrifice to get rid of him that time. I fight to make sure that my children and children's children don't have to worry about that. I don't want any of you to have to go through what your ma, grandma, uncles, Aunts, and I did… what Teddy did."
"Okay?" Ginny asked, gently coming forward to rescue Harry who started to think about all that he had lost in the war.
James and Albus nodded solemnly. But James wasn't done yet. "But Daddy, I don't want you to go 'way like Uncle Remus and Aunt Tonks."
Harry winced and snuck a look at Teddy. "I will do my best to make sure that doesn't happen."
"Okay, daddy has to go. Uncle Ron should be here any minute." Ginny said, trying to intervene.
Harry smiled to himself in relief when neither Al nor James said anything in the next fifteen seconds.
"But why?" Another voice piped up.
"Why what." Harry asked, soothingly, hearing the anger in Teddy's voice.
"Why must you and my family always be the wizarding world's savior?"
"Because I can." Harry said, simply.
Harry knew that was the wrong answer when Teddy stormed forward. "Yeah so can a lot of other people. But a lot of other people don't have families who have sacrificed so much."
"Teddy-" Harry said, trying to be placating.
But Teddy interrupted him, his hair turning a fiery red to represent his anger. "What I am supposed to do without you? What are James, Albus, and Lily? How about Ginny?"
Harry grabbed Teddy in a hug. He marveled as to how right these displays of affection seemed. Especially his kids, and Teddy was one of his kids, seemed to thrive when he held them. "First of all, I am going to do the best that I can to make sure that that doesn't happen. Secondly-" Harry pulled out a group of worn wizarding pictures that he kept with him whenever he went on these missions. "I do it for them. I do it to honor their sacrifice by ensuring that I preserve and better the world they fought and died for. I do it because I know that my heart is clear and clean. Finally, I can do it because I know that though I will be missed you all will be cared for. I love you all, but I love the wizarding world too and I don't know what will happen to the wizarding world if I don't do what I can to keep it safe."
Teddy snorted into Harry's shoulder, and Harry could almost hear his statement "why does everyone I love say that."
"I love you but I cannot hide while others are in danger." Harry's voice was firm.
"You are a crazy hero." Teddy said, pride seeping into his voice at last.
Harry laughed.
"Go." Teddy said, grudgingly. "Come back."
"I love you." Harry said again, looking at everyone.
"Teddy." Harry said, still seeing the pain in his godson's eyes. He winked at Teddy. "I am counting on you to hold down the fort."
Teddy saluted making Harry chuckle.
Teddy turned to James and Albus. "Come on give daddy a hug good-bye."
Harry watched, amused, as Teddy couched both James and Albus to hug Harry then let him go.
Harry sighed as he left. He wanted to preserve the image of his entire family. He wished Ron could be with him, but he was in bed with the flu. But still, he knew his family would be okay. With or without him.