Harry Potter To Thine Own Self Be True

by kmackone

Harry Potter disappears after the last battle because of all the death and destruction. Many in Wizarding Britain would reward and praise their hero. Some would use him. Friends and loved ones just want him back. So begins his journey to find a new life.

10. Chap 10 Chapter 4 The Slings and Arrows

Chapter Slings and Arrows of Outrageous Fortune. Part 1

Harry and Ginny walked back to the Burrow together. He had his left arm around her shoulders, holding on to her as if he were afraid she would leave. She had her right arm back around his waist to reassure him that she was there for him, for always. Her head was nuzzling against his chest, her own fears finally fading away as well.

They hardly spoke on the walk back, but Harry felt the need to stop once and steady himself as his little daytime nightmares rushed at his mind. Ginny held him quietly until he was able to gather his strength from her closeness and fend them off. And they finally continued on.

"I'm sorry...I...they…" His voice came in a strained whisper. "The images come at me all of a sudden, and it's like being surrounded by Dementors. It's...horrible and, well... there didn't seem to be anyway to fight them off." He pulled back from Ginny to look at her. "You know, for the first time the feeling of darkness closing over me wasn't nearly as strong and it didn't quite last as long. Having you here to hold onto lessened the fear and pain. I was right. I need you. I..." He was lost for a time gazing into her eyes entranced by the beauty of the love he saw shining at him from deep inside her.

"I know about that darkness Harry. My dreams are nowhere near as bad as yours are now, but they were once. I understand the pain you feel. I need you too." Her right hand reached out to take his left and she motioned with her head to the house. "Come on. Let's get to the house and get cleaned up." So they walked on together, quiet smiles lighting their faces.

When they reached the door of The Burrow, Ginny turned to face him and looked up into his eyes again. Then she reached up and pulled his head down to give him a heated open mouthed kiss. The kiss went on for some time until they both pulled back breathless.

"I'll... never get tired of that," said Harry, both of them breathing heavily.

"That's good, my love, because I intend that there will be a lot more of it from now on."

"It certainly helps to hold you and be lost in your love," he muttered quietly.

Harry let his arms fall away from her and turned to look out at the Paddock. It was a quiet idyllic scene.

"How is it that it's so peaceful and undisturbed here, Ginny. I thought all kinds of people might be dropping by here to bother us. You know, reporters and Ministry types," Harry casually asked.

"There were a few who came around before you showed up, but they weren't interested in us so much as they were in whether you were here." She edged forward and slipped her arms around his waist and rubbed her head against his back. "Bill came by a couple days after you showed up and put up some extra wards and made the place Unplotable to keep most people away so you... well I guess you might say so we all could have the peace to deal with what we've been going through."

"Bill's a great bloke. I'll have to find him and tell him thanks." Harry turned, lifting his arms, and put them around her when he was finally facing her. When she looked up at him, he bent down to give her a quick kiss.

They untangled themselves and went up the stairs together and stopped at Ginny's door, and then turned to face each other.

"I...uh…" Harry suddenly didn't want to leave her.

"It'll be alright, Harry." He could feel the warmth of her body and the love in her voice soothing him.

"We'll work this out somehow." Ginny leaned forward and gave him a quick kiss on the cheek.

Harry closed his eyes for a moment and breathed in slowly, then let out a sigh. He opened his eyes, nodded and smiled crookedly.

"Even with that scraggly Sirius-like rough exterior, you look a hundred percent better smiling. Now be off with you," Ginny said as her hands turned Harry around and gave him a playful push.

"Harry, you should use the bathroom first. Get a nice hot shower and clean off that face. I like to be able to see who I'm kissing," she chuckle, as she urged him on.

"I'd kind of like to see the old me back myself," Harry said, half to himself.

"When you get done, I'll take my turn, and I intend to have a nice, long, hot bath. When we're done, we should be more than presentable to the world." Ginny turned to the door to her room. She closed her eyes and leaned her head on the door for a moment.

Yess! We're together again, finally! She was so happy she just wanted to yell it out to theworld. Harry Potter loves me, and we're going to have a life together.

Suddenly she thought of Fred. She stood away from the door and looked up opening her eyes. Please don't be angry with me Fred, or think that I don't still love you. I'll always love you. But I've wanted to be with Harry for so long, and now there is a chance...

Ginny looked forward finally, reached a hand out and opened her door and quietly entered, hoping Fred would understand.

She slowly disrobed and put her clothes in her dirty clothes hamper then found an old robe, from when she was younger, that just barely covered her. She smiled, wondering what Harry's reaction might be to the skimpy garment. She turned and sat on the bed to think about the day's events.

Harry went to Ron's room. He grabbed some fresh clothing and his kit and took over the bathroom. He gazed at the reflection in the mirror that looked out at him.

The person who stared back at him was a caricature of a human being. The vision that presented itself was that of a lost and out of control soul. That was the Harry that was. The Harry that was waiting to be was in him somewhere. He just had to be coaxed out and reforged into the someone that Harry, and Ginny as well, would find acceptable and comfortable for him to be.

When Harry finished shaving, showering and dressing, he gazed back into the mirror and a hopeful smile slowly formed on his lips. He was happy to see the face he was so familiar with staring back at him. It was good to see the smile that his face reflected back to him as well, as he hadn't really had anything to give him a reason to smile in the last year. Even his scar was beginning to fade slightly.

The image of Ginny flashed into his head and the smile broadened.

He knew that, despite the dark angry clouds that still hovered over his life, Ginny was there for him now. She would be the silver lining that would shine through to help him fight off the pain that threatened to overwhelm him from the last year's events. He closed his eyes a moment and drew in a deep breath and held it for a few seconds, trying to let his thoughts and his body relax. Then he slowly exhaled and opened his eyes. He nodded to his reflection and let a more confident smile take form on his face.

Suddenly some old lines of poetry came to him. Something he had read as a child. A child whose world was a cupboard under the stairs. An old tattered and dog eared paperback he had gotten from his school was a collection of different poems. One of them by Walt Whitman. The lines that came to mind were a whisper of a possibility that a young Harry never thought he would ever have a chance to make a tangible reality.

Young Harry had been very much like Edmond Dantes in one of his favorite stories, The Count of Monte Cristo. Harry had been a person wrongly imprisoned, or so he felt, who longed for a way to be free. Walt Whitman's words had haunted him in that time. Even being allowed to go to Hogwarts had not truly freed him. The dark forces had pursued him through the years and he always had to return to his captivity at number four Privet Drive.

In the last year he had set himself the task of defeating Tom Riddle and his forces to save his world, and more importantly, the girl he loved, Ginny Weasley. He had walked through the valley of the shadow of death, as it were, and returned

So having come through all of those hardships and finally getting back together with Ginny, he felt the words to at long last have a meaning in his life. He felt he finally had the right to follow the advice of the poet. The words softly gave his hope a further impetus to carry him forward. 'The untold want, by life and land ne'er granted, Now, Voyager, sail thou forth, to seek and find.' It was finally the time for him to go out into the world and play seeker for real. A life waited for him out there. He just had to find it.

He grabbed his kit and exited the bathroom to find Ginny walking toward him seductively in only a short bathrobe and carrying her toiletries.

With her hair slightly disheveled and a bathrobe that seemingly barely covered her, she was breathtakingly beautiful to Harry. She was the one woman that could fulfill all of his dreams and desires.

Ginny's heart skipped a beat when she saw Harry. He was shaved and his hair was shorter, though it still had that wild waviness to it. He was every bit the handsome young boy she fancied, and then some. She felt her whole body shiver with a deep seeded need for Harry. Ginny gave him a sensual come on smile and put an exaggerated sway to her hips. She let her tongue slip out slightly and wet her lower lip before she sucked it in to lightly chew on it.

"Merlin, Ginny you've got to be the most beautiful girl in the world. I..." Harry began, as she walked up to stand next to him. She turned to face him and leaned back against the wall. Both of them felt the rush of their blood quickening.

Ginny's head tilted back as she looked up at him, and Harry leaned his left arm against the wall and moved closer to her.

"Pushing you away was the stupidest thing that I ever did,'" Harry said in almost a whisper. "You're the only thing that gives my life any meaning."

"I think I can say the same thing, love. After wanting you for so long, it was incredible to finally have you want to be with me," Ginny ventured. "Losing you nearly broke my heart, Harry."

"I'm sorry Ginny. Walking away from you was one of the hardest things I've ever had to do." He leaned down to capture her lips in what was to have been a quick kiss. Their desire made them move their arms around each other as the kiss deepened. Harry was sorely tempted to pull Ginny back into her bedroom and slowly make love to her. Some part of his mind said that it would be wrong. Harry pulled back from the delicious moist warmth of Ginny's lips and closed his eyes and breathed in deeply trying to take back conscious control of his body.

A disappointed moan escaped Ginny's lips. "Harry...what?" she queried. She could feel the hunger in him, which was echoed in her.

"We cannot let ourselves be lost to the moment, not here, not in your parents' house. I will not disrespect them or you." he said steeling himself to do what was right over what would be so easy.

Ginny smiled sadly and shook her head. "So if we were alone somewhere else, you could more easily give in to our desires and make love to me, then?" She asked in an aroused raspy voice.

He closed his eyes a moment and let his head tilt back, trying to think through the haze of his need. Then his head rolled forward and his eyes opened, and he caught and held Ginny's eyes. "I need you more than anything. If we were alone, somewhere else, in a place of our own, I would find it hard to deny the needs we both have. I think that it would be the right... no, the absolutely essential action to hold you and kiss you and touch you and make as passionate love to you as was within my ability to do so, to give us both the release I think we both desire."

Ginny's right hand found its way up to caress the side of his face. "I'll hold you to that, Harry Potter. You're probably right that this isn't the proper place for us to be so bold about our feelings and needs, but when we find a place where we can be alone, you had better set your mind on one thought. I love you and you love me, and somewhere there's a bedroom with a warm comfortable bed waiting for us to throw off our clothes, slip under the covers and make mad, passionate love till neither of us can move, then fall asleep in each other's arms."

Harry blinked once, then closed his eyes for a few seconds as a rush of erotic images ran through his brain. Then he opened his eyes to behold his sensuous angel gazing at him with blazing desire. "Merlin, that sounds absolutely brilliant. It sounds like one of the dreams I had this last year, especially the making love till we can't move. I would very much like that we just go to a place where we do things that we would like to do...chose to do to each other without some moralistic berk saying that it's not proper." Harry turned his head to kiss her hand. "I love you, Ginny Weasley, and I would very much enjoy becoming intimately acquainted with you. I want you to be mine now. And when the time comes I intend to claim you and perhaps put my mark on you so that the whole world knows that you belong to me." Harry leaned down and pulled Ginny close for a long wet opened mouth kiss, snaking his tongue into her mouth and her tongue wound its way into a dance with his, and they were lost in each other's passions for several moments. Then Harry slowly pulled back again, even though Ginny didn't want him to.

"I hope that what I said doesn't... upset you, I..." Harry suddenly worried that he had gone too far.

"Harry, I've been yours for almost forever. I've just been waiting for you to wake up to the fact that I love you and that you love me. I'd leave with you right now, if you'd say the word and take my hand. We could go find that bedroom and shut out the world and do all those bloody wonderful and nastily delicious things that everybody doesn't want us to do and be damned to the consequences."

"Damn the torpedoes and full speed ahead, eh?" asked Harry, eyebrows cocked up and the hint of a smile at the corner of his mouth.

"What's that then?" queried Ginny with a confused but happy smile stretched across her face.

"Something an American bloke once said in the heat of battle," said Harry trying to pull in his suddenly overwhelming desires.

"Are you sure it wasn't in the heat of passion?" Ginny asked, an amused smirk lighting her face.

Harry could see the deep desires had a firm hold of Ginny as well. He knew he had to do something immediately to stop the devil may care feelings that were driving them both.

"Ginny, there's another place and time for this. I need..." I need her naked in her bed, moving under me, our bodies undulating in passionate embrace, said a little voice in his head. No. No. No. Stop obsessing about Ginny. There are other pressing matters to tend to as well at the moment. Concentrate on them, Potter, said a slightly more rational voice that was trying to override the hormonal one. It was maddening. Harry straightened and turned away from Ginny. He closed his eyes and hung his head, trying to make his breathing steady itself and let him calm down.

"When I leave here... remember, I'll be going to Grimmauld Place." Harry raised his head and opened his eyes. "It's the only place I can think to go to that might be safe. Sirius left it to me, so it's at least a place I can call my own. The Fidelius is likely faded away by now but I'm sure that there are other older charms still in place to protect it. Sirius mentioned it to me when we were there." He stood still and quiet for a moment.

Ginny didn't want him to leave, but understood the need he had to straighten out his life first before he could move on with it, they both had that need. They both had the need to be together eating at them as well.

"You'd best go relax in that hot bath. I'm a bit knackered n' I'm gonna go have a kip. I'll see you tonight at dinner," Harry said as a half yawn escaped him. Then he walked down the hall and up the stairs to Ron's room. He'd moved all of his things out of Percy's old room and into the old familiar orange colored bedroom he knew so well. When he got to the room, he went over to his trunk, which Ron had retrieved for him from Hogwarts. Harry had been in such a bad state that he had forgotten it.

Then he turned and moved to sit on Ron's old bed and casually gazed around at the walls of his friend's room. It was still the shrine to the Chudley Cannons, Ron's favorite team. It was good to see that some things never changed.

His eyes closed and he let his head droop forward as he considered the future. It was strange to have his old face back after he finally shaved off the beard that had grown from weeks of putting off most of his personal grooming. Having sheared off a goodly amount of his shaggy hair, Harry reckoned, he at least seemed like a reasonable looking bloke now.

Ginny had certainly seemed pleased by what she saw.

He was thinking about his life and what path it was that he might possibly consider choosing for himself for the future. He definitely decided that he didn't want to be an Auror, as he'd had enough of fighting Dark wizards and being involved in any way with hurting and killing people.

Minerva McGonagall had raised the question before he'd left, after the Battle of Hogwarts, that Harry might consider helping teach Defense Against the Dark Arts at the school in his last year. Harry found the prospect amusing. He hadn't even graduated and was being offered to be a teacher, just because he was Harry Potter, their great hero, he was sure.

Thinking about it for a moment, he thought that it might just be possible to sometime later finish his N.E.W.T.S. and maybe at some point in time return to teach, sometime farther into the future, when the memories of all the pain and death were not so raw and disturbing. Returning to Hogwarts was not high on his current agenda, however.

He had been so close to the edge of reason of late; so close to wanting to chuck it all. Despite still being depressed about all he had lost in the last year, though, somehow his encounter with Hermione, and of course his Ginny, earlier in the day, had given him some cause to think that he could move forward with his life now.

Now that they had talked and come to the understanding that they loved each other completely, that gave him hope that there would be a future, their future. Having Ginny become a part of his life again made him re-assess just what possibilities might open up to him.

He wasn't quite sure what it was that he would do. He still loved flying and he knew Ginny still did as well. Harry got an image in his mind of both of them playing Quidditch together somehow, like they had at Hogwarts. If they could just find a team that would take both of them on, it would be absolutely brilliant. A hopeful grin spread across Harry's face.

He was trying to think in terms of what Sirius, or Remus, or Fred, or even his father would be saying to him at this very minute. His weary body decided for him though, as he could feel his consciousness fading on him so he lay down, closed his eyes, and was asleep in no time.

Ginny watched Harry slowly walk away from her and then head up the stairs. She closed her eyes a moment, then sighed, blinked her eyes open and headed toward the loo. When she moved to the bath, she shook her head. No hot bath for her. Her blood was already raging too hot as it was from the desire Harry had stirred in her. A quick lukewarm shower was just the ticket. Just enough to clean up and wash her hair. She turned the taps to get the water on. Then she reached up to one of the shelves and pulled down a special bottle of the homemade shampoo her mother always made for her. She knew how much Harry liked the aroma. He had mentioned it often enough when they were together at school for that short time. Her robe was quickly discarded as she stepped into the warm water and closed her eyes. She imagined Harry in there with her for a few moments and sighed as she fantasized that the water was Harry's hands caressing her. She allowed the pleasant illusion to hold her for a time, then opened her eyes as a shudder escaped her. She slowly went about washing herself and her hair. Then she relaxed back into the water and laid her head back on the rim off the bath tub. She closed her eyes and let her mind wander at the possibilities for her and Harry. The bath water finally started to grow cold and she stepped out of the bath and dried herself and her hair, put her robe back on and headed back to her room.

In her room, Ginny sat on her bed, slowly, deliberately and gently running her brush, in long even strokes, through her auburn tresses. Letting her mind slowly play through the years she had spent in The Burrow, the memories of her old life in this place she called home. A large loving family had surrounded her in this home.

She let the images of that life, including the six older brothers that at some point were always around her, making her feel the love and the happiness of being alive a real and tangible part of her being. They had all matured and grown and moved away from their home.

The images she had as a child of Harry suddenly resurfaced and she smiled. They seemed somewhat silly now compared to the real Harry she had come to know. Yet the fact that Harry had been with her in some way even when she was little, as she grew up, despite the brothers teasing of her for her crush on Harry, gave her a warm feeling.

She finished brushing her hair and laid the brush on the bed, as she stood up and began to turn and look around at her room. It was a little girl's room and she realized that to some extent her mother still viewed her as a little girl. Her whole family still viewed her as the little girl who was hurt in the Chamber and needed to be protected even though she had become a woman and a powerful witch in her own right.

She walked over to her closet and opened the door to look at the full length mirror that hung on the door. She loosened the belt at her waist and opened her robe and allowed it to fall from her as she gazed at her naked body in the mirror. She was still a small woman at five foot two, and she didn't have breasts as big as, say Lavender or Cho, but she had a very muscular toned athlete's body. By the way that Harry reacted to her, she knew that she was desirable to Harry, and he was the only boy... no... man, that she desired in return.

She turned sideways and kept her gaze centered on the contours of her body. She remembered hearing Dean once telling Seamus that she had a nice round arse, so who was she to disagree with a boy's thoughts on the subject, especially when Harry had so enjoyed running his hands over her arse cheeks and kneading them when they had been so busily engaged in snogging at Hogwarts. A shiver passed down through her as she thought of the times they had come so close to making love, only to have Harry be the proper and noble gentleman to pull back and slow them down.

She thought back to moments like that for a second and shook her head and let a sad smile spread across her face. If Professor Dumbledore had not died and Harry had not been forced to make the decision to give her up, she knew in her mind that she might have worn down Harry's noble prat sensibilities that summer and they might have been shagging each other silly, say by Christmas. Even if she had to sneak off to Number Four Privet Drive to do it. She had taken the potion for contraception that Hermione had given her, the day after the kiss. She remembered thinking how much she had wanted to be with Harry, and when he had finally kissed her, something in her mind said Yesss, he's finally mine and we'll be together now, no matter what!

She let her eyes lift up to take in her face. She still had all those odd patches of freckles to vex her, and that great mane of red hair that gleamed at her, all shiny and full bodied from the brushing. She had stopped trimming it two summers before when she had heard Harry make a casual comment to Ron one day, when they had been out flying in the paddock, of how beautiful he thought her hair was. Later, when they had been together at Hogwarts, there were times when they would sit in the common room by the fire and he would snuggle up to her and lean his head next to hers and breath in her scent, and let one hand slip into her tresses, and then she would feel small kisses on her temple that moved down her cheek to her jaw, and before she knew it, they would be snogging madly and she would move to straddle his waist and he would have one hand in her hair and one on her arse.

Harry loved the freckles too, she remembered. He had said that he hoped there would be a time when they could make love so that he could kiss her all over, especially wherever she had those freckles, and she watched her whole body turn a reddish hue at the thought, considering the many intimate places that Ginny knew that she had freckles.

She moved away from the mirror and went to her dresser and took out a bra and some knickers, then found an old tee shirt and a lightweight skirt and went back to the mirror to consider if they were what she wanted. As she held the Tee shirt and skirt up to her, her eyes casually drifted into her closet and she saw an old light green one-piece cotton summer dress that she remembered that Harry always seemed to like. She pulled the dress off of its hanger and held it up to her and smiled, then she went back to the dresser and put the tee shirt and skirt back into the drawers, and as a last thought put the bra back in too. She walked over to her bed and laid the dress down, then quickly stepped into her old cotton knickers, which were slightly threadbare. She smiled and shook her head. One day she would be able, with her own money to buy new clothing, even down to knickers and bras.

She turned around in the room as she was putting on the dress, taking it all in. It was very much a room for a young girl who was still learning about who she was, learning how to live, and Ginny realized that she had outgrown it. She was sure, to some extent, that she knew who she was. Whatever other learning and experience she might need were out there in that world, just as Harry had said. Her room and The Burrow were like her cocoon. They were a warm and caring place that, along with her family, nurtured and taught her and helped her become the woman that she was today. But she wasn't their ickle Ginnikins anymore. As Harry had said, it was time for him to leave. So she felt it was time for her to leave as well. She had become a butterfly and it was time to spread her wings and leave the cocoon. Ginny smiled, thinking about the lyric of the Elton John song. "Butterflies are free to fly, fly away!" she whispered softly. But she knew that that freedom could only be had if she was with Harry. He was the one person who gave her a reason to live, to be free. And she knew that Harry would be the one person who would say to her - spread your wings and fly.

She smiled sadly. Her mother would not take the news lightly. Her mother would not be a bit happy to have a rebellious daughter that thought she could just decide her own future. Her mother was stubborn and steeped in the old ways. Ginny could be stubborn as well. She walked over to her window and leaned out to look at the world. It was a glorious peaceful summer afternoon. Everything was overflowing with life and brightly lit by the bountiful force of the midday sun. There were no signs of the war. She thought about the last couple of years and the events which had marked and shaped her world and her, and the rest of the magical people in her world. The Wizarding world that she had grown up in had itself been in a cocoon of sorts. A cocoon of possibilities, overshadowed by darkness and despair.

Tom Riddle would have made an evil, dark world with structured limited possibilities. Harry, in defeating Tom, had made it possible for life in the Wizarding cocoon to rush forth like the flowers and young animals in spring to make a new life. Ginny was certain that Harry would have some hand in shaping this new reality and she wanted to be with him. She knew he would need her to cope with the new reality. And whatever Harry did to help in the rebirth of the Wizarding world would have a bearing on what and how they forged their own new life together.

She raised both of her hands to the sides of her head, fingertips just touching, so that her hands were like a crown sitting on her head. She closed her eyes and inhaled deeply, then held her breath and herself still for a few seconds, letting everything that she had been thinking about coalesce in her mind. Then she exhaled and let her fingers flow down through the thick strands of her hair till they came to her neck, where she massaged the muscles lightly, then let her arms fall to her sides. Better to just focus on yourself and Harry and that life you want together, sped the thought through her mind. Hermione's the brightest witch in our world. It's for her to figure out all of the details of the new world to be built.

She sighed. When she had come to the Burrow after the battle it was like her life was on hold. Now her life was on track again and beginning to move forward. Getting Hermione to get Harry to open himself up and admitting to loving her, and wanting to be with her, was like fulfilling a magical quest that opened the door to hers and Harry's future. She looked down for something for her feet and decided on an old pair of sandals and slipped them on then turned and went back to the mirror. She smiled a wicked little grin. She was sure that the dress and lack of a bra would stir up things with Harry, and her mother as well. Conflict helps to push needed changes to occur. She giggled at the thought of her being a brash and forceful woman in the face of her lover and her mother. Then she thought for a second about what her father might think about her, perhaps less than ladylike manner. She moved over to her door and opened it and stepped forward, then hesitated a moment, she gazed back into the room pensively. I can't live in the past anymore. I'm a different person now. I have to move forward. She looked around the room once and couldn't really think of anything that she really needed. It was time to move on like her brothers had done.

Her mother should be home soon and Ginny wanted to make her mum some tea and then help her fix tonight's dinner. They hadn't talked much lately, and after her talk with Hermione and Harry, she felt that she and her mother needed to confront each other over the new realities that their lives had become. She closed the door finally and headed down the stairs.

Harry quietly stirred in Ron's bed and then his left hand moved up to his face to massage the sleep out of his eyes. As his fingers lifted from his eyes and he let his hand come to rest on his chest, he blinked several times and finally opened them. The world was a blur and he smiled and reached over to the bed stand with his right hand, slowly feeling around until he found his glasses and brought them up to his eyes. Then he stretched and turned his body to the right and sat up in the bed.

Harry closed his eyes for just a moment and let out a huge yawn, then opened his eyes and began to think about what his life might be like now that he had gotten back together with Ginny. My Ginny. My love and my reason to continue living, the voice in his mind said to him. "If she is with me, a whole world of possibilities opens up for me, for us," he said aloud just for the pleasure of hearing it.

Harry still needed some guidance to help him set out on the journey he must soon take. So he stood up and went over to his trunk. He opened it and reached down inside the left side of it till he felt what he was looking for.

He pulled his arm out of the trunk and in his hand was a small leather bag. He untied the strings and pulled the opening apart. He upended the bag to let the contents slip out into his palm. A small black stone appeared, the Stone of Resurrection, which he had gone back to find after the last battle. A little voice had nagged at him to return to the forest to find it and he had. Just like when he had wanted to return The Elder Wand to Albus Dumbledore's tomb. Some little whisper deep inside of him had said to keep it.

He stared at the small magical relic and tried to collect his thoughts as to what help he could draw out from its usage. He closed his eyes a moment and turned the stone over in his hands three times. After a few moments he could feel a shifting in the space around him and he opened his eyes.

Around him suddenly stood those cherished souls that were to Harry part of his dearest, though departed family. Four men stood in front of him, enigmatic smiles staring back at him. From his left side moving around to his front were the original marauders: Remus, Sirius and finally his father, James; to his right stood Fred. These were the souls his troubled mind had called forth.

Sirius stepped forward first.

"Hey, kiddo! You did it! You beat that bloody old plonker and you worked through the Animagus transformation, in a shorter time then we did. I knew you had it in you. Now you just have to get up off of your bleeding arse, you silly git, and go out there and embrace life fully. If I had half the chances you'll have, bloody hell, you know I'd be out there singing and dancing and partying with a host of beautiful ladies till I couldn't see straight." He could see Sirius ranting at him with that wicked smile of his.

"Sirius, I…" Harry began.

"Now, none of that teary eyed rubbish about us being lost. We've moved on, Harry, and you have to as well. You have a wonderful little red head to love and make a life with. She loves you very deeply. I could see it in her the moment you came to Grimmauld Place, and she'll help you make that life that you want so badly. Hold on to that one, Harry, she's a keeper. Help her with the Animagus transformation too. Keep the old Marauders' tradition alive. What a pair you two will make." Sirius moved his hand lightly over Harry's chest.

"Remember what I told you when you and Hermione rescued me at Hogwarts. The ones who love you, that being us, never really leave you, so long as you keep us in your heart." Sirius winked and nodded his head, then smiled and stepped back.

Harry still, more than anything wanted Sirius to be with him now. He saw another subtle movement to his left as Remus came up to him.

"Ah, Harry. I felt it in my heart that somehow you would see this all the way through. You defeated the would be Lord of Darkness. You know what that makes you, don't you? You're the Herald of the new dawn, the Champion of the Light now and the future of our world is in your hands. You were able to become an Animagus. My hat's off to you, Harry. You truly are your father's son. If you set your mind to doing something, you don't stop till it is accomplished." Remus smiled warmly.

"Thanks, Remus," Harry said trying to smile, but still feeling constricted by sadness.

"Very few people get the second chance at life you have, Harry," Remus continued. "Get out there and grab hold of it, make what you can of it while you have it."

"I'm not sure what to do with a life now that I actually have one to live," Harry mumbled looking down and away from his former professor and friend.

Remus moved closer. "Look at me, Harry, please."

Harry turned and brought his eyes to look into Remus's.

"You've got a wonderful warmhearted girl who loves you, and whom I'm sure you love. Go out there and live the life you want. You've got to live for all of us now. Remember how much we love you. We will always be with you to help see you through any rough times." Harry could hear Remus's quiet yet forceful belief in him urging him on.

"Do me a favor too, Harry, give a look in on Dora and Teddy on occasion. She might need a little help every now and then," Remus chuckled.

"I will. I..." said Harry, his emotions clearly getting the better of him.

"That's not to say be a pest about it, now. Dora would most likely hex you if you try to baby her and Teddy. She has her pride. Maybe you could find something for her to do that will keep her occupied and help her get past all of the pain."

"I'm not sure what I could do to help. I'm still a bit off myself, but I'll do my best, Remus," Harry said with a half smile.

"You'll be fine, Harry. I have faith in you." Remus smiled back, nodded and moved back to stand by Sirius.

As Harry looked right to the shadow of his father, a voice blared at him from his far right.

"Oi! Harry, old mate, old brother of mine!" yelled Fred. Harry turned to look at him.

"Fred, I... " Harry found it hard to speak to Fred.

"Let me just say one thing before you start weeping like an old woman, mate. My death was not your fault. No one here died because of you. Voldemort was the bloody git who caused all of the pain and death, not you." Fred gave Harry a warm smile and a nod of his head.

"I made too many mistakes. I hesitated at the wrong moments. If I..." Harry began only to be cut off by Fred.

"If, if, if—shoulda, coulda, woulda, mate. You did the best you were able, under the circumstances." Fred moved a little forward and put his hands on his hips and gave and anguished sigh.

"I should have been thinking more about the rest of you. One of you could have gone back instead of me. I…" Harry hung his head at the sudden thought of how selfish he had been.

Fred bristled up into Harry's face, his right hand moving up, index finger right at Harry's nose. "You listen to me, mate. That's part of your problem. You're always thinking of others and not enough about yourself. I wish I could be corporeal for just a moment, just so I could slap you up the side of your head." Fred let his hand move back to his side.

"Fred...?" Fred laughed quickly at the little-boy-lost look on Harry's face. It reminded Fred of how Harry had looked all of those years before when he had seen Harry that first time on platform nine and three quarters.

"I could never accept going back to live instead of you. It would mean that you weren't there for Ginny, and without you to be with her, Ginny would never be able to really live her life. I love Ginny too much to take that away from her." Fred settled back and folded his arms in front of him.

"I guess I wasn't thinking it all through, was I?" Harry closed his eyes a moment unable to bare Fred's penetrating stare.

"Ah, Harry. Shouldn't hurt yourself by thinking too much. That's why you've had Hermione with you all these years, to do the thinking for you." Harry opened his eyes and looked up at Fred, who'd cocked his head to one side and had a wry smile spreading across his face.

"Merlin's beard, Harry. You're the son of a Marauder. An Animagus too, lucky prat. You need to let that bloody world know that Harry Potter isn't to be trifled with. Get the bit between your teeth and show them what your made of. It's your life. Live it on your own terms. Make your own rules and don't forget every now and then to prank those sodding bastards, just to keep them on their toes." Harry had to laugh, despite himself, at Fred's over the top pep talk.

"I suppose I can try, Fred. As to pranking, well I haven't really had that much experience at it. Do you suppose that George might help me with ideas and supplies?" Harry asked, not knowing what to expect from Fred.

"That's the ticket, oh brother mine!" said Fred, his smile widening. "Don't forget about ickle Ginnikins as well."

"Brother mine?" a curious voice queried Fred.

"A course, Harry lad. You're goin' to be with my sister ain't you?" Fred asked, closing one eye and giving Harry a searing glance with the other. "You're goin' to marry Ginny ain't you?"

"Y-Yes! Of course I am. I've just got to work up the nerve to ask her," Harry half mumbled.

"Right answer, brother mine." Fred opened his closed eye and leaned closer and gave Harry a big smile. "Do yourself a favor, Harry lad. Ask her quick and run off quick and quiet before Mum finds out. Then head on off on a long honeymoon. I can see that you need to get away from all of this madness. It'll do Ginny a world of good too. Do me one favor before you go."

"What can I do for you, Fred?" asked a nonplussed Harry. Then he thought for a second and added, "Brother mine."

"That's the spirit, Harry, Lad. We're one big family now." Fred winked at Harry.

"What's the favor then, Fred?" Harry asked, a smile on his face as well.

"Very few know that George n' myself were both in love with Angie. Angie was in love with us too. I would have tried to be the twin she married, but it wasn't to be. Give George n' Angie a bit of a push for me, would ya? I'd like to know that they're happy, n' being together will make 'em happy. Tell 'em you think it would be what old Fred would have wanted." Fred's smile toned down a bit and Harry swore that he could see a tear in Fred's left eye.

"Anything for you, Fred... brother." There really was a tear in Harry's eye now.

"You'll make a good husband for Ginny. One more piece of advice, Harry," Fred said, with an earnest look on his face. "If Mum gets angry at you, best way to get on her good side is to give her a lot of grandchildren."

"Merlin!" Harry cried, chuckling a bit, as he gave half a wave to Fred. Fred waved back.

Fred's shade regressed back as Harry's father finally came forward. Harry marveled how much they looked alike. Just like the old axiom, like father like son.

"Harry James Potter!" said a voice that at once was filled with love and respect. James Potter stepped forward to stand a foot away from Harry and catch and hold his son's eyes.

"You're the Boy Who Defeated the Dark Lord now. You aren't the little boy I once knew, though, anymore. You're a man now." James's voice was filled with joy that his son had survived and destroyed their mutual nemesis, yet there was a hint of sadness, perhaps that James would have liked to have been with his son through the years and help him have a better life. "You've made me the proudest father that could ever be. You stood up to do what was right, when others might have run and hidden. You are a true Potter. You remind me of my father, Alexander. You both have that strength of character that seems to carry one through the difficult times."

"Dad, I..." Harry was at a loss about what to do.

"If only I was corporeal. I could give you a hug and a good pat on the back. We could have gone out for a stiff drink and talked about the old tales of the Marauders at Hogwarts. I..." James hesitated a moment.

"I would very much have liked that, Dad." A sad smile creased Harry's countenance.

"I'm sorry that I couldn't stop Tom Riddle. I'm sorry that I wasn't a better man. I would have wanted for your mother and I to raise you, but..."

"Don't you say that about yourself. You did the best that you could. You and Mum both did the best that you could for me. I would very much like to have had you be there for me through the years, but I understand that wasn't meant to be. Still you gave me the chance to live, you and Mum. I found a way to keep going because of you, Dad. I love you." Tears were leaking down Harry's cheeks now.

"And I love you, my son." James move closer to Harry. "I care very deeply about you also. Harry, I want you to think about what you just said to me. Remember what that friend of yours said to you, and remember what that beautiful young girl that loves you said. You did the best that you could, under the circumstances. A great many of your demons would begin to fade away, if you would let that thought sink into that thick skull of yours."

"I'm trying, but..." Harry began, to be quickly interrupted by James.

"No buts, Harry! You were given a second chance, and I don't think that you have it just because Tom Riddle was a conceited arse. Somewhere, what we call the Eternal Powers, were keeping an eye on you, on us all probably. Out of all of us who might have had the chance to return, they chose to give you the opportunity. So don't muck it up. Reach out for life. You know, there was a time when I was young when I used to ride horses and, well every now and then you get thrown from the saddle. You can't let it spook you. You have to just get back up on that horse and show it who is in charge." James Potter stood straight and full of brass.

""I, erm… well…" Harry stuttered and wasn't sure how to react to his father.

"Life has certainly thrown you for a loop there, my son. But, Harry, you've got to grab the reins and get back up on that horse. Show the world that you aren't ready to roll over and give in. You're a fighter. All of the Potters are. I fought Tom just like you did. I could see the worst coming at me, but I didn't give in, and neither did you. You defeated that insensitive arse who wanted to rule the world. You can't let anything as simple as living stop you when Tom didn't. You have a beautiful girl... no, she's a woman now, and she wants to share her life with you. Let me tell you something, finally getting together with your mum is what changed my life around. It's what made my life worth living."

"There's just so much... pain and confusion still. I'm not sure what to do, even after that great little speech," Harry tried to smile; tried to hope.

"You'll still make mistakes, Harry. People aren't perfect. Just remember, though, the other people are just like you. They'll make mistakes and be hurt and still go on with their life. You have to as well. There's an old adage that says – Grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; the courage to change the things I can; and the wisdom to know the difference," James stated in all sincerity.

"I want that life with Ginny. I would also like to still be able to help people. I... just don't want to end up with everybody in the Wizarding world pushing me to do what they think is right and not allowing me to chose what is right for me," Harry said, somewhat exasperated, looking off to the side at Sirius, who raised his right hand and gave him the thumbs up.

James stood still and quiet for a moment. Then he cleared his throat and waited for Harry to turn back to him. He caught Harry's eyes and spoke in a sure and comforting tone. "There is a way for you to be the man you want to be as well as the man that our people need you to be. It's one of the few times that you will find that the right choice is the easy choice as well."

Harry's face showed his confusion. "How can one choice be both at the same time? I don't understand."

"Close your eyes a moment," said James, and Harry did. James stretched out his hand to hold it over Harry's head. Suddenly a name and an image appeared in his mind and as James withdrew his hand.

Harry opened his eyes and looked at his father. "This man, Alexander Harrison Potter. He was..."

"My father and your Grandfather. He was the last Lord of the House of Potter," said James.

"When you say Lord, what does that mean?" Harry was really vexed now.

"I'm not going to elaborate any further, Harry. I gave you his name and his face so that you could use the stone to call him forth. He will set you on the path you need to walk to go where you want to go and be what you want to be, and do what you want to do." James Potter stepped back with the other souls present. "You are the victor. Your life is in your hands. It's up to you now, son. All our best wishes go with you."

James Potter stepped back. He put his hand over his heart and smiled. "We'll always be with you, Harry." Then they all waved at Harry and slowly faded away.

"But... wait! I... was... hoping for..." Actually, Harry wasn't sure what he had been hoping for. It would have been nice to have some clear definitive idea of what he should do with his life. Suddenly all he could conjure up in his brain was the memory of a line of dialogue that Dorothy says from the old Muggle film The Wizard of Oz: People come and go so quickly here. Harry was just as dazed and confused as Dorothy had been, and somewhat gobsmacked at how the meeting with his father and friends had gone. He closed his eyes a moment and ran the memory of the encounter through his head again. Then the part with his father telling him to use the stone to summon his grandfather played itself out, and afterward the memory faded.

Harry opened his eyes and looked down at the stone. If he wanted anymore answers, he would have to conjure up this man, Alexander Potter; this Lord of the House of Potter, his grandfather. Why was it that there were so many important details about his life that had been kept from him? Then at the last moment some relevant facts would surface, like pieces of a puzzle to help him continue on with his life. The last year had all been about finding the pieces of Tom Riddle's life in order to take that life from Tom. Now it seemed that he had to hunt down the pieces of his own life that were still hidden out in the world, so that he could discover who he really was and be able to choose what it was that he wanted to be. Why couldn't he just be an average boy named Harry in love with a girl named Ginny? Why couldn't he just take Ginny by the hand and simply walk down the road of life and just enjoy living it?

Harry closed his eyes and smiled sadly; then let out a heavy frustrated sigh and began to concentrate on the image of Alexander Potter and turn the stone over in his hand. He felt a light brush of air wash over him, and as he opened his eyes, a shape began to take form in front of him. The man who appeared before him was not at all what he expected he might see. He was a little taller than he or his father were, and had a more imposing physical figure. He looked more like an athlete, a boxer, perhaps. His hair was neatly trimmed and surprisingly straight, with a dark brown hue, and strains of silver running through it, here and there. His eyes were hazel and there was a proud impish smile on his face. It was the same kind of rascally smile that Sirius would get on his face now and then. Harry had the feeling that Alexander would have made a great Marauder. Even as a specter of his once live grandfather, Alexander seemed to be more lively than Harry had ever felt in his life. Harry suddenly wished that he could have known this man when he was alive.

"HARRY JAMES POTER!" Boomed the voice of his grandfather. "'Bout bloody time the two of us get around to having a conversation. By the Eternal Powers!"

"'Bout bloody time? What're you on about then?" Harry asked, gobsmacked by the manner of his grandfather.

"Think about it, my boy. Remember that nagging little voice that kept ranting at you to go back and collect the stone, as well as to keep the bloody Elder Wand?" the shade of Alexander asked in a quieter and more reasonable voice.

"Quite frankly, I didn't think I should try to keep them. They only seem to cause trouble to those who have them. They did what I needed them to do an' I was content to let them just fade out of the mind of man," replied Harry, still curious about Alexander's intentions.

"I see that you kept the cloak. Why not just toss it as well, then?" Alexander was persistent and beginning to irritate Harry.

"The cloak means something to me. It was my dad's cloak. It's...well, it's one of the few things I have of his..." Harry looked away, as a tear slid down his cheek.

"Harry," Alexander said in a more caring tone, "they all belong to you."

Harry sniffed and looked back at his grandfather.

"They are the last relics, heirlooms if you will, of the Peverell family. And you, like it or not, Harry, are the last heir of the Peverells. That makes them yours by default and by blood right. As for them causing so much trouble, well, if you don't have the blood to possess them, they are bound to cause you trouble. You not only possess them by blood right, but because of the trials you have faced, you are now the master of the Hallows. I think it can be said that their powers are attuned to you." Alexander kept a wary eye on Harry.

"Tom's dead. I can't see a need for their powers, whatever they are," Harry said, still trying figure out where his grandfather was going with this.

"Please, just believe me when I say that they will have their use. Humour an old man, I'm someone who cares about you, Harry. Take the Hallows with you to Gringotts," urged the very eager older man.

"Why would you care whether I go to Gringotts or not?" Harry asked suspiciously.

"Think about it a moment, Harry. I'm the one person, outside of the few in Gringotts, that knows what's waiting for you there. It is devilishly imperative that you return to that so vital institution and claim your rightful place as Lord and Master of the Noble and Most Ancient House of the Potters," Alexander's shade said in a quiet but profound manner.

"What's so bloody vital about me going there? I don't know that I'm all that enthusiastic about being some sort of Lord and Master. Sounds like a lot of bother to me. Then, of course, I can't understand why the goblins would be all that happy to see me, after what me, Ron and Hermione did there." Harry wasn't sure he liked being pushed into another little adventure back to Gringotts.

The ghostly form facing Harry sighed and shook his head. "Harry, I know you haven't had a very agreeable life so far. But if you listen to my counsel and go to Gringotts, a whole world of possibilities will open up for you." A smile began to spread on Alexander's face. "You want a life with that beautiful young woman of yours, don't you?" Alexander paused a moment to let Harry think on it before continuing. "Ginevra, isn't it? You want to marry her and make all her and your dreams come true, don't you?" He paused again just for a few seconds. "Well, that can all come to pass if you go to Gringotts and accept your inheritance. As it just so happens, there is a reason that the goblins will let you back into the bank, as well as be willing to help you."

"There's a reason for them to help me, eh? I don't suppose you'd care to tell me now what that reason is, would you?" Harry was getting slightly perturbed.

"Where would be the fun in that, my boy? You have a note, if I'm not mistaken; a very special note, from my old friend Grobodan Griphammer. He is the goblin in charge of the London office of Gringotts. Do you think he would send such a note to just anyone?" A sly smile broadened across Alexander's face.

"You know what? You're starting to manipulate me just like professor Dumbledore and Tom used to do and I've really had quite enough of that in my life." A harsh edge began to appear in Harry's voice.

"Yes, I am actually!" said Alexander, the smile on his face didn't waver. He actually gave a little chuckle.

"You admit it?" Harry said in an exasperated voice.

"I do. You will find that along with that Gryffindor courage inside of you, you also have a more than fair bit of guile as well. It is thought that the Crouther blood, once merged with the blood of the Potters, and infused the family with great intelligence and craftiness…" Alexander looked off away from Harry for a moment, clearly lost in thought.

"Who were these Crouthers, then?" Harry asked. His curiosity was peaked. Clearly this man, his grandfather, knew quite a bit about the family. Harry had always yearned to know where he came from and who his people were. "Grandfather?" a plaintive strain in his voice brought Alexander back to the now and made him look back to Harry.

"The Crouthers were friends of our family a very long time ago, in the time whence fables and legends were born. Eventually a Crouther daughter married a Crochenydd son. That was our name then. We were craftsmen then and builders, potters if you will, and warriors when the need arose. The Crouthers were manoeuverers and manipulators. They could discern the patterns in things, and if a problem arose they could devise a way to solve the problem. A generation came along which only produced daughters in the Crouther house, though. So the name Crouther faded into antiquity. They did leave their mark on us. The next generation began to see the patterns as well. Eventually we took the name Potter." Alexander stopped and closed his eyes to think and seemed to sigh, as well as a shade could.

"Crouther and Crochenydd? Those are odd names," Harry put in.

"We're Welsh, Harry. Have been for several thousand years. The name Potter came about due to a need to fit into the British society. There were even Great Chieftains, and even a few Muggle kings, in our family long ago," Alexander added, trying to gauge Harry's response.

"There must be some reason you're telling me all this, grandfather. It's so unfair that you or my dad or mum can't be here to help me through all of this mess," Harry said as he inclined his head down and sighed as well.

"There have been a few times, down through the history of our family, where we were nearly destroyed." Alexander closed his eyes, allowing the memories to stir in him. "One lone son held the name of Potter against a cunning and evil foe. It's almost as if the Eternal Powers were testing us, to see if we were worthy," Alexander said in a low, barely discernible voice. Then his eyes opened and Harry looked up into them.

"Time and again we have proved that worthiness. A champion arose to fight the evil and overcome it," Alexander continued with an encouraging voice.

"Why must there always be evil to overcome? Why can't evil just bugger off and leave us alone?" Harry asked in a pouty and slightly angry tone.

Alexander chuckled. "That is just how things are, Harry. In any reality you have Ying and Yang, ideas of Good versus Evil, Light versus Dark and Order versus Chaos. In our world, what you had was Evil, or the Dark, overwhelming the Good and the Light. What you did Harry, was to restore the balance. The fight will still continue."

"That means I'll never be free then. They call me the hero of the Wizarding world. They'll expect me to keep fighting their battles for them. I imagine that's what Mr. Weasley will be wanting to talk to me about, tonight. Am I just supposed to go along and never have a life for myself?" Harry looked with pleading eyes at his grandfather.

"Not a bit of it, my boy. By the Eternal Powers!" Alexander suddenly moved closer to Harry and put fisted hands on his hips. "These mollycoddled fools have had their way with you for far too long. It's time to stand up to them like the Gryffindor lion that you are. It's time to make these people who are acting like startled children stand up like the adults that they are supposed to be and take responsibility for their world. There is a way at Gringotts for you to help push them along. Use some of that Crouther blood and be the person manipulating them for once." Alexander's arms relaxed and he moved them up to fold them together on his burly chest.

Harry thought a moment, then a thin smile began to form on his face. "It's interesting that you ask me to be crafty and manipulative. The Sorting Hat wanted to sort me into Slytherin at first. I kept saying NOT SLYTHERIN, NOT SLYTHERIN. He said - well if you're sure, better be GRYFFINDOR!"

Alexander laughed out loud. "Bloody berk tried to send me to Slytherin as well. We argued about it quite a bit, actually. Old Gregor was fairly adamant. However, before he could even get SL out of his mouth, I had my wand out and pointed at him. I told him, in a very curt and deliberate manner, that if he pursued that course of action, he would be a pile of ashes and I would go to Gryffindor anyway."

"You don't say. Gregor? The hat has a name?" Harry muttered, incredulously.

Alexander chuckled. "Of course he does. He was Godric's younger brother. Came to an unhappy end, I'm sorry to say. Would have likely been one of the ghosts haunting the castle. But old Godric managed to talk Gregor into being something useful. So, Gregor is the spirit that resides in Godric's old hat."

"And you know this because..." harry asked.

"By the Eternal Powers, Harry. I was one of the governors of Hogwarts, from 1935 on. I took the post more seriously than most and would often stop in to discuss matters with the Headmasters. Gave me plenty of opportunity to converse with the old scallywag."

Harry chuckled somewhat. It felt good to have something to laugh at. He was enjoying his time with his grandfather. Then a thought struck him.

"Grandfather, you said you would have turned Gregor to ash. How would you have done this if you were just a first year and untrained in magic?" Harry inquired.

"I am, or rather I was, a Pureblood, and you would have found that, had your parents been alive, you would have been trained in many of the spells you needed before you even went to school. My grandfather insisted that any Potter should know how to look after his or herself from first year on." They were quiet suddenly and remained so for a moment.

"Grandfather, I..." Harry began, then faltered.

"Harry, I've enjoyed this little tête a tête we've had, but it's time for me to move on. There are other souls waiting for you." Alexander backed away from Harry, his arms falling to his side, and began to fade.

"Grandfather, wait..." Harry's right hand shot out, as if to hold Alexander there.

"If you go to Gringotts, Harry, there will be a chance for us to converse again. I hope I'll see you again. Till then, all of my best to you." Then he faded away and was gone.

Harry felt like he was losing someone special all over again. His head drooped. He suddenly wished that his mum was there. He felt alone and unloved again. There hadn't been time to talk in the forest, on his way to meet Tom. Oh, how he wished that his mum was there.

Suddenly a voice spoke to him. "Thank you, Harry. I was beginning to think that you had forgotten me." Harry looked up and was startled by the shade of his mother standing a few feet in front of him.

"Mum, I...I have no words to..." There were tears in Harry's eyes and he just wanted to reach out and be held by her.

"I wish I could hold my son as well, Harry." Lily Potter stood casually in front Harry with her arms crossed over her stomach. Harry wasn't sure what to say to her. How many times had he wished to be able to speak to her, to ask for advice. Now that she was here in front of him, he couldn't get any words out. Lily finally spoke first.

"You were a good baby, even when I carried you. I was hardly sick at all. There was just this mad craving every now and then for peanut butter and dill pickles. Drove your dad barmy at first. Finally he just made sure that the kitchen was stocked up on peanut butter and dills, so he wouldn't have far to go." Lily smiled at Harry and he felt a warm glow begin to spread through him.

"Odd blend of foods, that," said Harry

"You get odd cravings when you're pregnant. I would never have eaten them otherwise. It's a good thing Sirius and Remus discovered them. After you were born, Sirius seemed to really take to the peanut butter that was left, and Remus was always munching on the dills. I thought maybe your dad had pranked them into eating them, but he swore not." They both chuckled at that.

"So many times I wished I could have grown up with you and Dad and gotten to really know Sirius and Remus. I just never could understand about my..." Harry began, then hesitated.

"My sister Petunia and that lump of a husband of hers, Vernon? I'm sorry about that, Harry. When we were younger we got along quite well. When I got the letter to go to Hogwarts and she didn't, she turned against me. Never forgave me, or the world for that matter, for denying her the chance to be magical. She just got worse as the years went by. When I was going to marry your father and told her about it, we had a big row. She never spoke to me again. Went right out and married that Vernon Dursley sod." Lily turned away from Harry and bowed her head.

"I'm sorry, Mum. I'm sure it was hard to go through," Harry uttered quietly.

"It wasn't as hard on me as what she and Vernon did to you. It wasn't either of us at fault, yet we were punished for it. I lost a sister and you... you lost your family and your childhood. I'm sorry we weren't there for you, Harry. I'm sorry we couldn't stop Tom Riddle. I... we…" Lily hesitated a moment and Harry spoke up.

"Mum. Look at me, please," Harry urged, in a loving voice. Lily turned back to face her son. "You did everything you could to protect me, even gave your life to keep me alive. There isn't anything else you could have done at the time. You ...erm...weren't meant to stop Tom. I was. I'm proud of you and I will always love you and Dad." There were tears on both of their cheeks.

Lily moved forward to stand toe to toe with her son. Her eyes scanned Harry's face with a slow penetrating gaze. Being part of the ethereal or spirit world gave her a deeper understanding of the elements she saw there. Harry had her eyes to be sure, as Sirius and quite a few others had made the annoying point of noting all too often. The general look of his face said to anyone that he was a Potter, yet Lily suddenly saw more, now that she was up close. The sadness in Harry's eyes reminded her of his grandfather Alexander. The unruly hair that Harry shared with his father, James, was not something passed down from Alexander, as she remembered. Alexander's hair was always straight and nicely trimmed. As she let her mind wander, the image of her friend from the Order of the Phoenix, Marlene McKinnon and her brother Jacob came to mind. They both had wild and unruly auburn hair and it wasn't till after they had been killed that James had told her that they were his cousins. This sparked another memory of the first time that James took her to meet his parents. She was struck by the overflowing life force of the two gregarious people that she met that day and came to love. Persephone Potter's hair was long and recklessly wild and a dark blood-red color, and she had pale olive tinted eyes. Alexander's hair was dark brown and naturally straight and she wondered at the time where James had gotten his wild hair, and had even asked his father about it. Alexander had laughed out loud and shown her a picture of his own father and his mother. In the picture were his father, Carlton, whose hair was so dark brown, as to appear black. Alexander's mother was a devilishly beautiful young woman with light brown eyes and wild fiery red tresses that cascaded down her body like a raging waterfall. She had been Durinda Elaine Mckinnon before the fates had driven her and Carlton together. Lily saw in her mind now the wildness of Durinda's and Persephone's hair reflected in Harry. She chuckled in spite of her attempt to give her son the serious counsel she had intended.

"What?" Harry inquired, in a confused voice.

Lily shook her head slowly. "I'm sorry, Harry, it's just...well, I've never been this close to you before and had the chance to really look at you. It's interesting the little things one can see in you if one really looks," Lily replied, sighing.

"What do you see that I don't? I've never noticed anything special in my face before. I don't think anyone else has either." His curiosity was peaked now.

"You really need to have some knowledge of the Potters to see what I see. Your face is a tapestry of your lineage," she said, her eyes focused on Harry's.

"Tell me. What do you see?" Harry urged her on.

"I'm sure by now that you've had enough people tell you that you have my eyes. But I think it can be said that it's just the color and maybe how they're centered that comes from me. The shape of your head and the jaw are your father's and Alexander's. That part of you is all Potter." Lily stopped a moment. She was beginning to feel a pull to leave and she had to concentrate to stay focused on being with her son.

"What about the messy hair? Isn't that a Potter trait? I look like my dad." Harry stood up straighter, a little touch of pride rearing in him.

"Actually, that isn't a true Potter trait," Lily said, watching irritation form on Harry's face. "That's not a bad thing, you know, Harry. It speaks of another strain of blood that flows in your veins. You know Tom massacred a family named McKinnon, yeah?"

"What exactly, does that have to do with me?" Harry's fingers curled into fists and his breathing quickened without his noticing it, as his exasperation over his mother's round about manner of relating her knowledge.

"I'm sorry, Harry. Please, relax, darling," said Lily's melodic voice, and Harry closed his eyes and took a deep breath and let it out slowly. Then his hands unclenched and he began to relax.

"Sorry. It just felt like when other people have talked to me before, as if I was some small child who might not understand. I'm not a child anymore. Really, I never had the chance to be one, and I've been able to understand adult concepts for quite awhile. The problem I have is in comprehending why people might do the things they do." A small sad smile cut at the corner of his mouth.

"My poor Harry. Maybe that's just what you need then. Get away from it all and try to enjoy life. Do some childish playing. It really does wonders for the spirit, you know. Look at Sirius if you want an example. He was always a child at heart. He never gave up being a Marauder. If we hadn't had all of this grief, and he was still alive, he'd still be out there pranking people along with those Weasley boys." Lily shuddered. "Now that is a disturbing image. Those three together, pranking people."

Harry had to laugh, in spite of himself.

"See what I mean. You need to prank someone. You need to laugh; even when you don't feel like it. It will help you fight those demons that are pulling you down. If need be, laugh until you cry. Then cry yourself out. It will help work out some of the poison that this evil war infused into you." Lily wanted so badly to hold him and make him feel better. She knew, though, that only one woman could hold him and make him feel better now, his Ginny.

They stood there quietly appraising one another for a few seconds, then Harry broke the silence. "You were saying about the McKinnons?"

"Yes, I was. Tom had them destroyed, or he thought he did. He didn't consider the blood ties of our world." The confused look came over Harry again. Lily chuckled. "Sorry. The wild hair that you wondered about was something you got from Alexander's wife, Persephone, and his mother, Durinda McKinnon. I would venture to say that there are more than likely quite a few of the citizens of our Wizarding world that have McKinnon blood in their veins. Think of it this way. Tom tried to destroy the McKinnons and the Potters and you destroyed him instead. You pranked Tom, the great Dark pillock, and the Mckinnons and the Potters are alive in you. You have the last laugh, Harry."

Harry closed his eyes and let his head droop forward trying to take it all in. After a moment he opened his eyes and looked up at his mother. Her form seemed to fade a little. "Mum, so much of our world was swept away by the dark storm of this war that Tom set upon us. How can we go forward from here, especially me? There's a big hole in my insides that is still bleeding. I still feel like a failure."

"Just you remember what you said to me and to your father, Harry Potter, when you try to live your life," Lily snapped back at Harry, indignantly. Her right hand shot up and her index finger pointed at him. "You did everything it was possible for you to do for our world, given the time and knowledge that you had. You even... died so that it was possible to destroy Tom. I'm more than happy that you had the chance to come back, and that you took that chance. You deserve to have a life now. And so does that young woman of yours. You get yourself together with your Ginny and get down to Gringotts like your grandfather said. There were times when Alexander and I argued about matters, but in this we agree. Don't let those arses down at the Ministry write your destiny for you. You stand tall like the Potter you are, and you make the decisions that will define your life." Lily's hand fell to her side and she turned to her right as she felt the force pulling at her.

"How can I find a life for myself and help our world as well? I just...I…" Harry just couldn't think of what he could do to find an answer.

"In one sense you could think of our world as a great garden that just needs the proper tending to. The gardener has been away for a great while and the weeds have been allowed to grow and rocks and other flotsam have been strewn about by the storm. We need the gardener to return and care for the land and the people again." Lily closed her eyes trying to focus her last efforts before she was called away.

"You make it sound so simple. How simple for people to make a slave of me again. They won't care about me. They never do, only the results I can give them," Harry half growled.

"If you apply yourself competently enough, they will concern themselves with the fruits of your labors and the good bounty that they receive from them rather than worrying about how the fruits came to be. There are ways for you to walk among them without them even knowing you are there." Lily's voice was just a loud whisper now.

"That would be a real trick. A bloody brilliant prank, if I could pull it off," Harry said thoughtfully.

"I was an Unspeakable, Harry. Anything is possible if you have the brains to contrive the proper idea and the nerve to push it through. Your family, for instance. Think of the name Potter in the simplest terms," Lily said wearily. "A potter is an artisan who works with the clay of the earth. He places the clay on a spinning wheel; a wheel of potentiality. By the craft of his own hands and the sweat and blood of his efforts he makes that clay into useful tools. If the task is done properly, those who make use of the tools do not concern themselves so much with the artisan, as much as how well the tools function. And the world is a better place for having the tools of that artisan. People are just as much the clay of the earth and from what Alexander once told your father and me. In the time right before we were married, Alexander asked us to meet him at the great circle of power in Wiltshire."

"You mean Stonhenge?" queried Harry.

"Yes, Harry." answered Lily. "Alexander weaved a wonderful story about the Potters and how the Lord of the Potters has been deeply involved in the politics and the lives of the people of these islands. The Potters have been shaping them and their lives for centuries, for the good of all. Our world is a mess because there has not been a Potter to work the wheel of potentiality for too long." Lily seemed to draw in a deep breath. Then she turned to look upon Harry one last time.

"Mum?" A trembling voice cried out for Lily.

"Go to Gringotts and become the gardener. Tend to our world and it will blossom and be fruitful and full of potentiality. I am sure you will discover your own happiness along the way and our world will be transformed and evergreen thanks to your efforts." Lily waved at Harry and slowly stepped backquietly faded away.

Harry stood silently for a moment. He had quite a bit more to think about now than when he had first pulled the stone out of his trunk.

Harry finally put the stone back in the pouch and went to his trunk again. He put the pouch with the stone in the trunk momentarily, and pulled out a piece of parchment fastened to the inside lid by strings. Then Harry sat back on the bed and opened the parchment he had received from Gringotts and perused the message again.

Harry James Potter,

It would be in the best interest of you and the bank of Gringotts if you would at your earliest possible opportunity pay us a visit. There are several matters at hand which concern certain accounts of yours which need to be legally discharged in the swiftest possible manner.

There are also certain other matters, of which I am sure you may not be aware of, that need to be discussed and dealt with. When you arrive at Gringotts, show the guards this letter and ask for Grobodan Griphammer. The seal on the outside of the parchment will be proof enough that the document is genuine.

As the House of Potter is one of our oldest customers, I will also contact your solicitor Allastair Steadman, who also happens to be the Steward of the House of Potter. He and I will personally help you to deal with any of the challenges forthcoming to you and try to help us both maintain the prosperous circumstances which have always been a part of your family's and my institutions association.

Grobodan Griphammer

President of Gringotts London Branch

Gebeiter Von Eisen Kralle Clan

He looked up to scan the room, then stood and shrank the parchment and put it into his left front trouser pocket instead of back into his trunk where he had got it from. He began collecting all of the things he would be taking with him and began to pack his belongings. As he looked around the room, he noticed the watch he had been given on his seventeenth birthday sitting on the dresser. Mrs. Weasley had given him her brother's watch. Harry felt a sadness spread through him at the loss of Fabian and the passing of his watch to Harry. There was a positive note to the watch being given to Harry. It had almost been like Fabian and Mrs. Weasley welcoming Harry into the family officially. He walked over to the dresser and picked it up and held it to his ear. It was still ticking. Some part of Fabian was continuing on. Was it an omen from the past to incite him to continue on as well? Harry thought about it for a moment, then smiled and nodded his head slowly. "I can't make any promises, Fabian. I'll give it my best shot, though," he said quietly. He put the watch on and turned around till he noticed the small picture he had of Ginny smiling and waving at him.

He went over to the picture that sat on the small table by the bed. He picked it up and gazed down at his angel. When we're together, I feel that I can fight the demons in my dreams and create happy dreams for the future that we two can make come true, he thought. He placed the picture in its frame on top of the clothing in the trunk. He pulled the elder wand from a side pocket to carry it with him, picked up the pouch with the stone and his father's cloak also. Then he closed the trunk, locked it and grasping the elder wand shrunk the trunk to a very small size and put it into his right front pocket. He took hold of his old wand and shrunk his cloak, the pouch and the Elder wand smaller and fit them into his left front pocket. Then he put his old wand into his back pocket.

Somehow, what Hermione had said about the Ministry making plans to take advantage of his celebrity status to push him into being the front for their attempt to rebuild the Wizarding world and working for a better future didn't quite set right with Harry. He understood all too well that it was just the old school politicians, and their Pureblood backers, trying to manipulate Harry like countless people had been trying to manipulate and use him all of his short life. There would be no guarantee that they would change things to help everyone. More than likely they would just arrange things to be as they had been and only to benefit themselves. Harry felt that he had fought and destroyed Tom and his minions to pave the way for change and a new manner of thinking in the Wizarding world. He didn't feel that he had any power or real method to push for the changes that could make a lasting improvement to that world, though.

For once, nonetheless, Harry decided, he was going to be the person to control and live his life. He thought about what his grandfather, his parents and his friends had said. It was time to grab the reins of his life, remount the horse of opportunity and ride it at a full gallop to the steps of Gringotts, to see whatever possibilities lay waiting there. He closed his eyes for a moment. The image of Ginny Weasley in a skimpy bathrobe and a sensual smile with her long thick auburn hair wildly flowing down her shoulders made his pulse race a little quicker. He opened his eyes and sighed.

Harry slowly and quietly descended the stairs of the Burrow, the possibility of Ginny still on his mind. He went over to gaze out the back door. He knew it was time to move on with his life and he would be leaving this once cherished respite from the overbearing world that he had a feeling wanted to engulf him and claim him again. As if he were a piece of property owned by every witch and wizard in the Wizarding world.

Only one person, one witch, had any claim on him as far as he was concerned, or at least his heart. He hoped he had made it clear enough to her how he felt about their future. He could definitely stand a little manipulation of one sort or other from her. He needed her and she needed him, if he read her right.

He inhaled deeply the clear fresh country air. He would have loved to go back to a happier, simpler time, Harry chuckled quietly to himself and sadly shook his head, a time when in his life was quiet and simple. Defeating Tom had only removed the cause of all of their problems. The problems, like Harry's nightmarish visions, brought on by Tom's hellish attempt to become the great Dark Lord, were not going to oblige everyone by merely getting neatly into columns of two, like a troop of soldiers, and marching along their merry way. Solutions to the problems would not likely come very easily either. While his visions did give him some insight as to what his world's problems were, he himself could not fathom what the solutions might be. The Wizarding world needed men like Albus Dumbledore and Alexander Potter to find ways to turn things around. He felt that there had to be someone with potential to step forward and help, but he was most certainly not that person. Harry had his own problems to deal with. He was still in the midst of working his way through the 'Slings and Arrows of Outrageous fortune', as Shakespeare would say.

There was only one way to go now, forward into who knows what; forward with Ginny into the future. He closed his eyes for a moment and took in one more breath of fresh air. Then he blinked his eyes open and turned to walk into the Weasley kitchen. He felt

a slight trepidation at facing Mr. and Mrs. Weasley. He reminded himself that they were his family now and they cared very much for him. He hated having to hurt them by telling them he had to leave. He hoped that they would understand, somehow, that they all had to move forward. He pulled up his Gryffindor courage and walked forward into the kitchen to face his future.