Chapter 4: A taste of home

That first month without Harry and Matthew in their lives, was the hardest month of their lives to date. Through all that they had faced together with Harry, all the events that they had lived through. He wasn't there any more; he had dropped of the face of the world. Hermione had school to keep her mind of her missing friend, Ron didn't even that. He couldn't join the auror corps until the beginning of the next year. So all he had for company most of the day was his own thoughts.

At first he had been so angry with Harry, but true to what Harry had said. With in two weeks the media in the UK had turned its back on him; to them his best friend was a coward at best. At worse he was being dibbed as the next dark lord, the ministry which was once again listening to the likes of Malfoy were doing nothing to quash these rumours. In fact Ron was sure that they were encouraging the prophet to print the crap that it was coming out with these days. Ron was seriously considering not entering the auror force; he wanted to run far away from this country. To get away from the lies that was being spewed about his best friend.

"Ron lunch is ready." His mother called to him from the kitchen.

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Albus Dumbledore was not at all pleased when Cornelius Fudge barged into his office, it was after school hours and he was about to turn in for the night when he and Delores Umbridge stormed into his office through the floo network.

"What an unpleasant surprise." Albus said to them. He dropped the pre tense of pleasantries that was usually present in their conversations. "What can I do for you Cornelius at this late hour?" Albus asked the man. Ignoring Umbridge completely, he didn't plan to acknowledge the woman's presence unless it was absolutely necessary.

"I have come to get the traitor Harry Potter's location from you." Cornelius said to him. Albus chuckled as he looked at the man.

"Even if I was inclined to tell you where he was, which I am. I don't know where he is, and I don't know how to find him." Albus said to the weasel of a man.

"He would not go anywhere without his mentor knowing where he was." Umbridge snarled. "Now where are the disgusting little halfblood and his evil little spawn?" Umbridge snapped at him. Albus looked at him with the up most loathing in his eyes, as he turned his attention back to Fudge he waved a dismissive hand in the woman's direction.

"He is far gone Delores." Albus said to her. "What would you do to him even if you knew where he was?" Albus asked them.

"He will stand trial for the murder of Tom Riddle; since we all know he is guilty he would be given the kiss. That bastard of a child would have its magic bound and passed on to Potters only living relatives." Umbridge said nastily. "Then his family accounts and property would belong to the ministry." she said smoothly.

"So this is about money." Albus said to her.

"Yes Albus that is exactly what this is about." Fudge said. He had just started sucking on a lemon drop from the bowl which caused Albus to laugh. Fudge looked absolutely livid. "What did you do to me?" Fudge snarled.

"That particular candy, is laced with truth serum, all of my staff knows not to take it. I usually get the students to have one right before I ask them, why they did what they did." Albus said to him. "Are you working with Lucius Malfoy?" Albus said to stunning Umbridge.

"It was his idea, pureblood pride according to him." Fudge said to him. "End this now Dumbledore." Fudge snarled at him.

"I will in a moment." Albus said to him. "Are you a death eater Cornelius?" Albus asked.

"Yes." Fudge said. His face was turning redder by the second.

"When did you become a death eater Fudge?" Albus asked.

"In the first war." Fudge said to him.

"Stupefy." Albus cast the spell with such a coldness in his voice it scared Cornelius Fudge.

Albus walked to his floo network calling Amelia Bones and Severus Snape to his office, then sat back and waited for them to arrive. He knew that it would be impossible to find Harry now, but he also knew that when Harry did send word. He could tell the boy… no that wasn't right the man that it was safe for him and Matthew to come home.

"Albus why is Cornelius on the floor of your office?" Amelia asked as she came through the fire. "I know why Delores is, I am guessing you couldn't get her to shut up." Amelia said to him.

"That was part of the reason yes." Albus admitted as Severus came through the fire.

"Albus you wanted to see me?" Severus said to him. He took in the sight of a stunned Fudge and Umbridge and rightfully concluded that it was about them. "What did he try and do this time?" Severus asked him.

"He was demanding that I tell him where Harry Potter was." Albus said to them. "He had plans to arrest him for the murder of Voldemort." Albus said to them.

"I knew he was behind the smear campaign against Harry Potter, why would he want to arrest him for Voldemort's death?" she asked Albus who made an ugly face. "Oh god please tell me he isn't one of them?" she asked though from his look. She already knew the answer to that question bending down she ripped the sleeve of his left arm open and gasped. "What do you need me to do?" Amelia asked him.

"I need you to work with Severus; he will give you the names of all active death eaters. That was let free by Fudge and his cronies." Albus said to her she nodded. "I am going to enact emergency protocols, to assume the ministers role, until such time as it is safe to elect a new minister. We need to weed out all of his corruption; no one is safe from the death eaters while the current senior administration is in charge." Albus said to her.

"Meaning me as well." Amelia said to him.

"You let this go on under your nose, when the truth comes out, the public will be after your head." Albus said to her. "You need to work out an exit strategy for yourself, one that will cause the least amount of embarrassment for you and your family." Albus said to her she sighed. "You have my word that I have no wish to hold the position for more time than is absolutely necessary Amelia." Albus said to her. Amelia chuckled at this.

"If any one is the best person to bring this country, past the Fudge era of Government you are Albus." Amelia said to him. "It is time you stepped up to the plate; this country needs you to lead it now Albus. Anybody one else would just run the risk of being a Fudge replacement." she told him as she walked to the floo. "Severus can I ask for your assistance in getting this scumbag and his mistress to ministry cells?" Amelia asked.

"Of course, good night Albus." Severus said to him. "I'll give you that list tonight." Severus said to the woman.

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SENIOR MINISTRY OFFICIALS ARRESTED, CORNELIUS FUDGE CONFIRMED DEATH EATER. LUCIUS MALFOY AMONG TWENTY SIX RELEASED DEATHEATERS REARRESTED BY THE MINISTRY OF MAGIC.

Earlier this morning in a press conference new interim minister of magic Albus Dumbledore, told the shocked and outraged public about Cornelius Fudge and Delores Umbridge's plans to destroy the boy who lived. In the same press conference, he spoke of how both were arrested for being death eaters in the past wars with him who must not be named. Four other senior officials of the Fudge Administration were also arrested for being death eaters.

Among those arrested in the early hours of this morning, were Lucius Malfoy, Vincent Crabbe Senior and Gregory Goyle Senior. People who had used the imperious curse as an excuse to be exonerated by the Fudge administration. Now we know it to be a scheme by death eaters to stay free. Also arrested was Draco Malfoy heir to the Malfoy fortune. Among the boys crimes were rape and murder of muggle born potential first years. Last year there was a spate of murders, murders that were dubbed the work of a serial kill by muggles who found the bodies. These killings of which their were ten, Draco Malfoy has confessed to the killings. It is expected that the Malfoy heir will be sentence to the veil of death for his crimes.

Hermione was ecstatic this was great news; it meant that Harry and Matthew could come home. It was about lunch when Albus dropped by to speak to them, the whole family. It had been a whirled wind last twenty four hours for the man who had just been named minister of magic. At least he was interim minister of magic.

"Professor it is so good to see you." Molly said to him. "I mean minister." Molly said to him.

"Thank you Molly but you should just call me Albus." Albus said to him.

"This means that Harry can come home doesn't it." Hermione said to him.

"That may be harder than you imagine to accomplish." Albus said to her.

"Of course it will be easy." Molly said to him.

"Harry asked for a port key to Los Angles." Albus said to her.

"So we just go there and search." Molly said to him.

"It is a huge city Molly; I seriously doubt Harry stayed there." Albus said to her. "Finding Harry at this point would be next to impossible; Harry is gone until such time as he feels it's safe for them to come back." Albus told them. "I know that this isn't the news that you wanted to hear, but there it is." Albus said to them.

"But Albus the boy belongs here with us." Molly said to him.

"Molly, Harry hasn't been a boy for a long time. He stopped being a boy when he became a father; he stepped up to the plate." Albus said to him. "It is not my place, nor is it yours for that matter. To tell Harry where to live and how to raise Matthew, if he comes home it will be his decision. For now we have to respect his wishes, none of you are to try and contact him." Albus said to them.

"But the danger has passed." Molly snapped.

"Only a fool believes that Harry is going to come back here, not for a long time." Albus said to her. "It pains me to know that Molly, but he has made his wishes clear to all of us." Albus said to her she sighed knowing that she was beaten.

"Your saying we have to respect his wishes?" Hermione said to him.

"Yes Hermione, you are his best friends. He left to protect you all as well as his own son, he made that sacrifice for you, and he chose loneliness and security over fear and friends." Albus said to them. "Don't sully that choice, by trying to contact him." Albus said to them.

"He said we can get to him through you." Ron said to him.

"You can." Albus said to him.

"So you know how to get hold of him." Hermione said to him Albus nodded his head.

"Yes I do." Albus said to her. "But no I won't tell you." Albus said to them.

"Is he well?" Molly asked.

"I haven't been in contact with him since he left." Albus said to them.

"But you know how he is doing." Hermione said to him.

"Yes I know how he is doing." Albus said to her. "Before you ask, you should know that it will only hurt you knowing." Albus said to them.

"Please just tell us." Hermione said to him.

"He has moved on and he is happy for the first time in a long time." Albus said to them. "Now ask me why I won't ask him to come back to us." Albus said to them.

"He has a boyfriend?" Ron asked.

"He has a boyfriend and has made new friends." Albus said to them. "He has started to put the tragedy off Cedric's death behind him." Albus said to them. "We don't have the right to ask him to come home from that." Albus said to them. "I believe he will one day walk the shores of this country again. It just won't be for a while." Albus informed them.

"So we just have to be patient." Ron asked incredulously.

"I suggest that you get on with your lives." Albus said to them. "Harry is gone and you need to finish that chapter of your lives and move on. He wouldn't want himself to be the reason you hold back in your lives. He didn't leave so you could live in obscurity and fear. He gave up his own happiness with you, so you could be free of that fear." Albus said to them. "And to do anything else than honour that last act of heroism, would be a greater tragedy than any that Harry suffered." Albus said to them he patted Hermione on the shoulder as he walked to the door.

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La Push Reservation

About the Same time

Word had gotten to them about Fudge. Harry was sat between Paul's legs sat flush against him. They were watching Seth playing fetch in his wolf form with Matthew, "Do you think that if he tried, he could be even more of a goof ball?" Harry asked Paul pointing at the two of them.

"Who Matthew or Seth?" Paul asked.

"Seth." Harry said to him. "Seriously letting a five year old, treat him like a dog and have him play fetch." Harry said to Paul who laughed. Seth looked over at him glaring, causing Matthew's next through to hit him right on the nose. The yelp that came from Seth made Harry and Paul role up with laughter. "My son is mated to a goof." Harry said to him.

"And yet you love them both anyway." Paul said to him.

"How you doing with the prospect, of being a future father in law to Seth?" Harry asked Paul with a smile on his face.

"Yeah that I haven't got used to yet." Paul said to Harry. Who smiled as he turned to look at the other man? "Are you thinking of going back home?" Paul asked nervously.

"No." Harry said simply.

"Why the hell not?" Paul asked shocked.

"Because I left that country for a reason." Harry said to him. "And my home is where ever you and Seth are." Harry informed him Paul smiled a bit at this. "If I chose to up sticks and go home, I would hurt you and Seth because I know you have responsibilities here." Harry said to him. "You wouldn't be able to come back with us, and I'd hurt Matthew if I did that as well." Harry told Paul.

"So you choose your new friends over your old ones?" Paul asked Harry.

"No, I just choose my sons happiness and well being over them. My own well being is just an after thought." Harry said to him.

"It shouldn't be." Paul said agitated.

"I haven't loved any one or slept with any one, since Cedric, Matthew's dad." Harry said to him.

"But you love me." Paul said.

"I'm getting there; Cedric was the love of my life. I miss him every day, I'd be mad not to. We were going to get married; I was engaged to him before he died." Harry said to Paul. "Something like that, no matter how much I like you or am falling for you. I can't forget Cedric; he gave me Matthew my beautiful baby boy." Harry informed Paul.

"I guess I have a lot to live up to." Paul said to Harry who smiled and placed a hand to the mans face.

"You're doing just fine." Harry said to Paul. "You don't need to live up to anyone, just be yourself." Harry told Paul. "Just don't be an ass that Jacob said you can be." Harry added Paul growled. "You're incredibly hot when you're annoyed." Harry told him Paul laughed a little.

"I love you Harry." Paul told him with a smile pressing his lips to Harry's for a moment.

"I know." Harry said to him. "I'm just not sure I can return that sentiment so soon." Harry said to him Paul smiled and gave a nod.

"I can wait." Paul told him causing Harry to laugh.

AUTHORS NOTE: Okay well that was chapter 4 for your all like I promised. No they will not be going to England, I doubt that they will in this story. Sorry guys, this is about Harry and his new life, not Harry and his new life plus some of his old life thrown in for fun. Thank you all for your reviews, with the exception of two they have all been positive.

And to the three guys from Aruba who have read this story… hi from England.