Hello, dear readers! Thank you for the lovely reviews, as always! Also, happy Christmas in advance for those who celebrate it! Thanks to the hols, I don't know how I will have time to update (I have family/friend reunions and skiing-trips on the horizon! :-D), but I will definitely try to keep to my weekend schedule! I'll do my best!

Chapter 7

"I hate you."

It was stated with so much venom, Harry could almost believe it.

Almost.

"No, you don't," Harry said, not bothering to look up. He and Tom were sitting at the kitchen table in their small flat, having breakfast Lolly had prepared before Tom's first day of school. Well, Tom was having breakfast, while Harry attempted peel his eyes open long enough to plop a satisfyingly obscene amount of sugar into his coffee. One hand stirred the beverage after his success, the other supporting his heavy head. It was way too early for this.

And on his day off, too.

"I'm not going."

Harry sighed. "Why are you so against it? I thought you liked to study."

Tom scoffed. "You are sending me to school with muggles."

"So?"

"So? So! I'm not a muggle. I'm different from them!"

Harry batted a sleepy hand through the air. "No, you're not. They're the same as you or me, sans magic." He paused. "They have science."

"Exactly! We are better!" Tom exclaimed triumphantly, disregarding Harry's point with stubborn ease.

"Sci~ence," Harry sang.

"Who cares? Besides, I can learn their science at home if I want."

"You could," Harry agreed. He could feel the room brighten. "But you won't." The ominous atmosphere returned with a vengeance. Harry groaned. "You are not allowed to use your magic yet, anyway. Not to mention that based on your logic, it would be futile to enroll you in Hogwarts as well."

Tom averted his gaze angrily. Then, he finally got to the real crux of his problem. "I don't want to go. Why do I have to spend my days among stupid children?"

Harry smothered a smile with a yawn. That sounded dangerously close to a whine. "Well, you are a kid yourself."

"That's not the point," the boy gritted out. "Why can't you teach me at home, like until now? They're stupid, all the others."

Harry raised a brow. "Albus, too?"

Tom scowled. "No," he admitted. "But he's annoying."

Harry tsked. Albus, as Dumbledore had requested to be called, had dropped by the shop a fair number of times since their first meeting. He even brought Fawkes along once, much to Tom's reluctant awe. More often than not, the man also managed to drag Tom into their more interesting conversations. Still, Harry's plan to make Tom socialize had backfired a little. Tom hated Albus, despite not being able to help some of his intrigue leaking through his walls. Harry was quite certain that the boy was just possessive of his Godfather to the point of hostility, for the most part. He perceived Albus as a threat because Harry liked him, even though Tom's grudging admiration was partly due to that exact same reason as well. It was a catch twenty-two at its finest.

"How will you find smart people if you never go out, then?" Harry asked, changing tact. "I assure you; the World doesn't solely consist of idiots, if that's what you need to make a friend. You only have to give others a chance. And who knows? People, muggle or magical, may have a lot in common with you, even with a lower intelligence."

Tom grimaced in distaste. "Why would I want to have anything in common with someone beneath me?"

"Oh? So they are beneath you because they're slower? Or because they're not wizards?"

"Naturally," was the snotty answer to both.

Harry hummed, leaning back in his chair. "I'm a wizard, right? Quite knowledgable, too."

Tom gave a cautious nod.

"Would you love me less if I suddenly lost my magic? If I forgot my smarts? Would I be less of a person?"

That gave the boy pause. He didn't answer. Harry had gotten through his thick skull, at last.

It really was much too early for this.

- LM -

"How did it go?" Albus inquired after a merry greeting, frowning when Harry banged his head to the counter with a groan, and stayed in the position he had landed in.

It was the first Saturday of September. Tom had been attending school for a week. At the present, the boy was upstairs in his room, brooding away, while Harry tended to the shop.

"It was horrible. Awful."

Albus conjured an armchair in the corner as it became routine — because occupying Tom's seat was obviously taboo, regardless of his presence — and sat down, eyeing the younger man in concern. "What happened?"

Harry peeked up at his friend with a miserable expression. "The first few days were all right, although by his accounts, Tom was bored out of his mind," Harry mumbled. "I knew he would be, but I didn't want him to skip grades from the get go, you see? I hoped he would find someone he could get along with his own age first," he added, feeling a need to defend his decision. Not that he had to; he and Albus had discussed Harry's reasoning behind Tom's placement with an appropriate age-group before, and the older man had agreed wholeheartedly.

Albus nodded patiently. "Of course."

"I had a talk with him Monday morning about making friends. It went pretty well." Harry said mournfully. "Anyway, on Friday, I went to pick him up to apparate him home as usual. And would you guess? It turned out Tom had actually been communicating with his classmates. His teachers sang his praises during this conference thing they held for the parents."

Albus frowned in confusion. "That is good to hear."

Harry would have been happy with that too, if it wasn't for the rest Tom had told him about.

"But you know how Tom began demonstrating accidental magic for a little while now?"

"Yes. It is quite a feat for one so young."

Harry heaved a huge sigh. "Anyway, once we got home, Tom had a different story to tell. Kids can be vicious. Some idiot got jealous of his apparent popularity, riled him up so much, the guy got transfigured into a duck. You can imagine the chaos. Everyone was terrified before the Ministry Obliviators arrived."

"That's expected of muggles under such circumstances."

Harry shrugged. "Still, it hit Tom pretty darn hard — no matter how much he pretended otherwise — when they called him a 'freak' and 'evil', amongst other things, even the teachers. The muggles didn't need to remember for the incident to make its impact. The damage to Tom was already done."

There was a minute of silence while Albus contemplated the story.

"It will be alright. I'm sure Tom will be fine," Albus said in consolation. "Children are very resilient, in my experience. And Tom is smart; as long as you explain to him why his muggle classmates and professors were so scared-"

Harry glared at him, straightening. "Really," he said, voice filled with sarcasm. "You can't be serious, Albus. This is a disaster, and you know it. I made a mistake. I never should have made him go in the first place. It was stupid of me to force the issue."

It really was. Harry had spent not one, but two childhoods with muggles. He should have known better. He had been so blinded by his need to make Tom see their non-magical counterparts in a positive light, he had failed to consider how wrong things could go.

"Muggles and magic were never a good combination," Harry murmured softly, the self-reproach in his voice raw and cutting. "Muggles don't understand our powers. People are scared of us. And then, there are their religious beliefs. Our children shouldn't be subjected to their wrath."

Albus shot him a stern look. "None of that makes them bad. Only human."

"I agree." Harry shook his head. "That doesn't mean we should mix, though. The Statute of Secrecy isn't enough. Shielding the muggles from reality with such haphazard safety measures simply isn't enough. What about the protection of our children? The scars they will bear? The muggleborns, the half-bloods, cast into a world in which they are shunned? The Wizarding Government has been operating on the basis of one of the biggest errors any law enforcement or military force can make; they only act to remedy situations once the 'crime' — or the unintentional breach, in this case — has already been committed instead of preventing it. It would be best for all involved if wizards and muggles didn't interact at all, in fact. I should have never subjected Tom to such an experience. What happened with him further proves my point though."

Harry had always thought so. He didn't know how he could have forgotten. In his blind bid to prevent another rise of Voldemort, he had ignored all common sense, everything experience had taught him. He had hurt Tom, too, with his willful ignorance, brought about the exact scenario that could feed the boy's hatred with his very own hands. Truly, Harry would have laughed at himself if the problem wasn't so serious.

Then again, Harry may have been overreacting a bit. It wasn't likely Tom's psyche would be irrecoverably damaged just because of one incident. The boy had stability and love in his life that the original Voldemort hadn't. Tom would never be a philanthropist, sure, but he wasn't a sociopath either. 'His regard for his fellow humans just needs a little work, is all,' Harry thought stubbornly. Also, Harry was sure he was doing a decent job of encouraging the development of basic empathetic skills in Tom, regardless of this foolish mistake. He would be able to remedy what the muggles have wrought. He hoped.

But as Harry pondered, he saw Albus stiffen in his periphery. Harry winced — it wouldn't take a genius to predict the man's reaction to Harry's rant. He should have kept his big tap shut in Albus' presence, no matter how comfortable and happy he felt to finally have someone to talk to. He was just so unsettled, so angry with himself, he had needed to unload. But Harry knew Albus wouldn't appreciate such sentiments. He didn't want his only friend to become wary of him.

Sure enough, after a long, drawn-out sigh, Albus cleared his throat to speak. "What you propose isn't feasible, Harry. We do occupy the same world, wether you like it or not. And in any case, the ignorance of muggles is not their fault."

Harry frowned. "Are you really implying what I think you are? That muggles should be educated about our ways?"

Albus raised an eyebrow. "And if I am?"

Harry gaped. He had known Albus was somewhat idealistic in his views, especially when still so young, but this? This was beyond anything he could have imagined. "You're crazy," he breathed. He cleared his throat. "Albus, you know better than this. What do you think would happen if the muggles suddenly discovered us? Catastrophe wouldn't even begin to describe it!"

"That isn't necessarily true," Albus murmured, but seeing Harry's utter disbelief, mouth parted and eyes wide, he added, "Alas, the Wizarding World is not ready for such a change. Yet."

"Yet?" Harry spluttered.

Albus nodded. "I'm not proposing to tell the muggles about us, to throw the knowledge at them and let them sink. I'm afraid our own society wouldn't stand for it, wouldn't help them understand. Prejudices are hard to overcome. Eventually, however, it is my hope that this could change — on both sides."

"I agree about prejudices being a problem, but Albus, you are taking this too far! Do you even know what muggles are capable of? They would turn on us in a blink of an eye!"

"Not if they were introduced to the concept gradually, with care. Muggleborns have been born amongst them since the beginning of time. Mixed marriages often occur, too. Muggles are not animals; they can be reasoned with. They are able to accept us if explained properly and if helped along with patience during the transition. And in the end it would be for the greater good of all; we could all live in peace with each other, without all the hatred that has become the norm," Albus concluded passionately, with much emphasis on the slogan Harry came to know rather well in the past. Grindelwald's slogan, which Albus adopted during their youth. It was even stranger to hear it in this context, though Harry didn't know why he was so surprised.

Harry barked a hollow laugh. "Did I ever mention this? I am a muggleborn."

Albus looked taken aback for a split second before he recovered. "No, I haven't known."

Harry nodded. "Well, I am. I think I know more about the ways of muggles than you can imagine."

"And you dislike them? What about your parents?"

"Not at all. I loved my mother and father, and they loved me. They were among the nicest people I have ever known before they died."

Albus smiled gently. He seemed satisfied to be proven right.

"But," Harry continued, interrupting whatever foolish, delusional thoughts Albus was entertaining, "they were terrified of me. And for me. In society, I was ostracized because of my skin-color. I have to wear a glamour if I do not want problems, even when taking Tom to school. And at home? I was an outcast because of my 'demonic powers'. My parents thought I was possessed by Satan, Albus, and did their best to 'help' me. Can you imagine what its like growing up while believing you are a freak of nature? And these were people that loved me, not strangers."

Furrowing his brows, Albus remained silent for a heartbeat. "I have spoken to muggleborns before," he finally said. "With a few exceptions, they seemed happy at home."

"Because they all eventually learn to accept their lot. Have you actually visited any before Hogwarts? Before they learned there were others out there like them? People who would really accept them?"

A reluctant shake of Albus' head was all Harry needed to drive his point home.

"Exactly. You cannot cure muggles, or people in general, of their inherent fear. They can live with it if circumstances force them to — such as having to choose between love of their child and the apprehension about terrifying abilities — but fact is, such a situation is still not favorable for either party. Love in itself is not necessarily enough to be happy."

Albus took a moment to collect his thoughts, the corners of his mouth turning down. "Are you implying that tearing families apart would be the solution? Is that what you mean by no interaction?" he asked, almost angrily.

Harry kept his expression blank, though on the inside, he was breaking. Albus would hate him for this. Harry didn't want to alienate him. But this couldn't go on, either. Albus had to understand. Harry didn't want to build their friendship on lies. The man would either accept their differing views, or he wouldn't. In the end, he settled with a vague "Perhaps."

The man's expression darkened further, but once he stopped to think about it, he only appeared sad, the spark in his eyes extinguished. Harry averted his eyes guiltily. Albus always had that strange talent about him; he could make people go to the extremes, if only to avoid disappointing him. Yet Harry knew he was right. He wouldn't let Albus influence him like that. He was not a naive teenager anymore.

"That is not the way to go about it, Harry," Albus began. "I am truly sorry you have experienced so much hardship, but you cannot think tearing children away from their parents would be conductive to anything. Family bonds are irreplaceable. And in any case, separating our worlds to such an extent would only breed further hatred and mistrust. Other solutions must be found."

Harry shook his head. "In some ways you may be right," he said. With such a degree of disconnection, prejudices would probably increase, especially in pureblood circles. However, Harry was much too resigned to human nature. Albus may think the best of everyone, but Harry knew better. Prejudices would remain regardless of what one did to be rid of them. It was simply the way of things, a part of life. They could be tempered with dedication, redirected, but never erased. "But mistrust of difference is unavoidable. And though it may not seem like it, I do have the best interest of all in mind. Our children deserve better, as well as the muggles whose lives get turned upside down by something they have absolutely no control over."

With a sad shake of his head, Albus stood. He took a few steps closer to Harry, reaching out to place a hand on his shoulder. Harry stiffened at the unfamiliar contact, but he didn't shrug it off. Only Tom ever touched him like that, yet Albus was also precious to Harry. And considering he may have been about to lose the man once and for all, Harry was thankful for any kind of connection.

"I can see your heart is in the right place, my friend," Albus murmured. "But how did you become so jaded, so cold? Do you hear yourself? What you are saying just isn't right. Our conversation may only be theoretical, but I am concerned for you if this is truly how you think."

"Isn't right for whom?" Harry whispered, his eyes fixed on Albus' chest. "For innocent children? For the muggles? Or for your sensibilities?"

With a sigh, Albus backed away. "Very well. I can see we are not getting anywhere. I will leave the matter rest for now. But Harry, you will eventually understand that this ruthlessness is only hurting you. And if you're not careful, it could hurt young Tom as well."

Harry remained silent as Albus strode to the door. Before exiting, the man looked back.

"I must get back to the castle. I'm required to be there by the time the students begin to trickle in."

Harry nodded blankly. "Of course."

Then, to Harry's immense surprise, Albus smiled. "Until next weekend."

And Harry's mood brightened. He had underestimated Albus. Perhaps he hadn't lost his friend after all.

A/N: I finally did some proper art for the fic — a portrait of Harry. If you are curious about the complete, more detailed image, the link is on my profile!