Harry's Minerva
Chapter 20
The next day, after being cleared by Poppy and Minerva, Harry went into the training room to work on recreating his altered Patronus. It was still early in the morning, so everyone was there to watch him. It took him a few attempts and a bit of advice from Minerva, but soon his golden version of Minerva's animagus form appeared out of his wand. They all walked over to examine it more closely, Hermione going into full research mode.
"It's completely solid," Hermione observed, her hand on the Patronus's fur. "Do you know what exact emotion you focused on to make it work?"
"Hold on, let me do it a few more times to be sure," Harry replied. It took him three more times before he thought he had the answer. "It's anger, righteous anger to be exact. But it has to be protective in nature."
"That makes sense. At the time, you were angry that Professor McGonagall was being attacked and you wanted to be able to protect her from the lethifold," Hermione concurred.
"Do you think it can be replicated by others?" Amelia asked.
After a moment of thought, Harry nodded. "I think so. It takes a little bit more power than a normal corporeal Patronus, but not enough to make it impossible. The same principals apply about concentration and wand movement, the focus is just different."
"We should try right now then," Tonks suggested eagerly.
"Any other advice you can give us?" Ron asked.
"It helps if you have a person or people in mind that you want to protect. Try to think about someone or something threatening them and how much you want to prevent them from being harmed."
With those words from Harry, they all started working on it. At first, everyone only managed to create the golden mist. Minerva was the first one to get it completely and her golden form of Harry's animagus joined her own animagus form from Harry. They got awes from some of the witches at the fact that their Patronuses matched each other, making them blush slightly.
A few minutes later, the others started getting it too. Harry went around the room like he used to with the DA, giving advice to those who were still struggling with it. By the time they all left to eat breakfast, all of them had been successful.
They now had another weapon to use against Voldemort.
- H.M. –
The morning after that did not bring good news unfortunately. Luna woke up with the sense that something bad was going to happen. Soon. She hadn't seen anything concrete in her dreams, so she tried to discern the future through her Seer trance. She got down on the floor with her legs crossed and her arms resting on her thighs. Then she took a deep breath and closed her eyes, sinking into the trance.
At first, all she saw was darkness. Then images began to appear before her. They were too fast for her to make out anything clear, but what she did see, only increased her worry. She saw chaos and destruction, heard the screams of those in pain, and evil laughter. No matter how much she tried to focus her sight to see everything with more clarity, she couldn't. She couldn't tell where or when any of what she saw was supposed happen, but she knew it would be soon. Something was blocking her ability and she needed to tell everyone else.
Luna waited until breakfast to inform everyone. "There's something you all should know about, though I have nothing concrete to give you." Her tone was completely serious as she spoke, getting everyone's attention.
"Did you see something Luna?" Harry asked in concern.
"Nothing clear. Something is blocking my sight," Luna admitted.
"How is that possible?" Ron asked.
"There are a few rituals that can achieve this, though they are very dangerous and come with a high price," Samena said.
"Likely not high enough for Riddle to pay," Minerva noted.
"Is this permanent?" Andromeda asked.
"No, they only work for one situation and you can't perform another one for at least a year afterwards," Samena explained.
"He must be planning something big to go to all those lengths to hide them," Charlie remarked.
"What were you able to see, Luna?" Matthew asked.
Luna sighed. "I saw burning and destroyed buildings, people running and screaming in fear, and Death Eaters causing complete chaos. But I couldn't tell where any of it was happening. Any identifying marks for location were blurred."
"And you couldn't tell when it would happen either, right?" Harry asked.
Luna shook her head. "I just know it will happen soon."
"Have you seen anything in Riddle's mind recently?" Hestia asked Harry.
"No, he's been pretty quiet. All I've been able to get is that he's been recruiting, but I couldn't tell who or how many he's managed to draw to his side." Harry paused for a moment. "Now that I think about it, it's been even harder to sneak into his mind at all. He's likely strengthening his shields more often."
Hermione broke the silence that had come over them. "What if he is planning something for the first, the day we go back to Hogwarts?"
"That would make sense," Hestia agreed.
"It would fit with his tendency toward the dramatics," George remarked.
"Yeah, what better way to frighten everyone and regain momentum then to attack on such an important day," Fred noted.
"So, what can we do to prepare, if we don't even know where he's gonna attack?" Neville asked.
"We'll have to prepare for anything," Amelia stated. "It's best that we all are on our guard for the next week or so. I'll talk to Scrimgeour and have him increase the auror guards in Diagon Alley, the Ministry, St. Mungo's, and Hogsmeade."
"I can have the task force do more patrols around popular muggle areas as well," Arthur said.
"But what if he tries to attack the children on the Express?" Molly questioned.
"We'll have to be ready to face it," Harry answered.
"We can ask some of the DA to help too," Susan suggested.
"As long as they still have the coins, we can warn them to be prepared at least," Ginny added.
Molly didn't like the idea of them fighting any threat on their own, but she knew how hard they had all been training. They were about as ready as they could be. "Very well, but you all be careful and don't take any unnecessary risks."
"Don't worry mum, we won't," Ron assured her.
"Zose of use who work in ze Alley can keep an eye out too. If we see anyzing, we can call to alert everyone," Fleur proposed.
"That goes for everyone. If any of you see anything suspicious, at all starting today, call the group," Minerva instructed. All of the Hoods nodded their heads in agreement.
- H.M. –
That night there was an Order meeting. Because they hadn't officially quit just yet, Hestia, Molly, and Arthur had to be in attendance to so Dumbledore wouldn't get suspicious. There wasn't much of note discussed as not much had happened recently. Remus informed them that only three werewolf packs, consisting of around 32 members, had sided with Voldemort. Those were mostly the ones who had mindsets similar to Greyback, and despite his death, hated the magical world for how they'd been ostracized. The rest were staying neutral as they gave Amelia time to prove that she would be a better Minister with respect to her policies on them. Snape told them that Voldemort was planning something but was keeping most of the details to himself. Since the Hoods already knew that, this information didn't help them much. Recruitment efforts to the Order were nonexistent. With Amelia, a more than competent leader, in charge of the Ministry, no one felt the need to join a secret group. Everyone else had very little to offer, and the meeting ran for less than an hour. Dumbledore did mention his plans to meet with Harry when he got to Hogwarts, something the three of the smirked internally at. If only you knew what was coming for you, they thought universally.
- H.M. –
Two days before the ritual, Minerva woke Harry up as she tossed and turned while in the throes of a nightmare. It only took him a few seconds to realize what was going on and he immediately pulled her into his arms the moment he did. Remembering what she'd done for him he spoke soothing words as he tried to reassure her that everything was okay and that he was right there. She was muttering about someone named Cal and how she was so sorry. Having heard the name only a few times before, Harry wasn't sure what she was seeing, but he did his best to help her. It took her a few minutes to calm down and wake up and when she did, she was more disoriented and confused than he had ever seen her.
"Mina look at me," Harry spoke gently to get her attention. "It's me Harry. I'm right here, okay."
"Harry," Minerva whispered, his voice drawing her back to reality.
"Yeah, it's me. You're okay now. You were having a nightmare."
"I… I'm sorry for waking you up," she said in a small voice as she put her head down in embarrassment.
Harry gently lifted her head up and caressed her cheek with the back of his hand. "No need to apologize. Especially after I've done the same to you so many times." Overwhelmed by her emotions, Minerva buried her head into Harry's chest, taking in his warmth and feeling the beating of his heart. He in turn wrapped his arms around her protectively, trying his best to give her the strength she needed.
They sat like that for several minutes, nothing but the sound of their breathing and hearts beating filling the room. When she started to pull away, Harry felt it was safe to ask her a question. "Do you want to talk about it?"
Minerva, feeling unsure, hesitated. "I don't know."
"It's okay if you don't, but I'm here when you're ready," Harry reassured her.
She nodded in response before getting up out of the bed. "I'm just going to take a shower. You try to get some more sleep."
"Are you sure?" Harry asked, concerned by her state. She looked fragile right now, something he'd never seen before.
"Yes. I think I might just go for a walk around my property to clear my head. I'll be back later."
Harry wanted to say more, to ask if she wouldn't mind some company, but he felt so out of his depth that he was unsure if that would upset her or not. He didn't want to pressure her. "Okay. See you later then."
She nodded before heading to the bathroom, leaving a confused and worried Harry behind.
- H.M. -
Harry tried to go to back to sleep, but his concern for Minerva prevented that. An hour after she left, he decided there was no point in continuing to lay down, so he got up and threw on some workout clothes. Then he went into the training room, hoping that doing some exercises would help him relieve the stress he was feeling.
By the time the others arrived for the morning workout, Harry was still just as wound up as he'd been earlier.
"How long have you been here?" Andromeda asked as she walked over and pulled him to the side.
"A little over an hour," Harry replied.
"What's wrong and where's Minerva?"
"She had a nightmare. I tried to ask her about it, but she wouldn't say anything. Then she went back to her house." Harry sighed in frustration. "I didn't want to press too hard, but I'm worried. I've never seen her look… look so lost."
Andromeda was confused for a few seconds until she remembered something. "Wait, what day is it today?"
"The 26th. Why?"
"Oh," Andromeda said realizing the importance of this day. With everything that had been going on, it had snuck up on her.
"What do you mean? Do you know why she's so upset?" Harry asked, desperate for an answer.
"I don't think I should be the one to tell you. She… well this isn't a good day for her."
"So, what am I supposed to do? How can I help her?"
Andromeda sighed, wishing Minerva would have talked to him about this before today. "Let's just give her some space right now. Hopefully she'll come back soon and talk to you about it herself. If not though, you should go to her. This is a conversation she needs to have with you, regardless of how uncomfortable it is. You deserve to know, all things considered."
Harry didn't really like that answer, but he saw the wisdom in it. "Alright, I'll give her until lunch time then. If she's not back by then, I'll go talk to her." When the others questioned Minerva's absence, he just told them she had a rough night and needed some time alone before focusing them on their workouts. Breakfast was a quiet affair as everyone wondered where Minerva was. No one asked Harry anything else as they saw he was concerned as well. They just hoped everything would be okay between the two of them. Afterwards, Harry went to sit in the living room by the Floo, hoping Minerva would return soon.
About twenty minutes after he sat down, the flames of the fire turned green, but it was Poppy, not Minerva who stepped out of them.
"Hello Harry. Samena wanted me to do a check-up on you and Minerva just to be safe," Poppy greeted. Then she noticed his worried demeanor and took a closer look at him. "Is everything okay?"
Harry ran a hand through his hair. "Minerva had a nightmare this morning and then she went back home to be alone for a while. She wouldn't tell me what it was about, but Andromeda said this isn't a good day for her. I… I don't know what to do to help her"
Poppy immediately realized what was wrong. "Ahh. Tell me, has she ever mentioned someone named Cal to you?"
"I've heard her say his name before and she was calling it during her nightmare, but we've never talked about him. Does he have something to do with this?"
Poppy sighed sadly. "He has everything to do with this. She really should have talked to you about him before now." Poppy shook her head in frustration. "Let me check you over and then I'll go talk to her. Don't worry, by the time I'm finished, she'll talk to you. I'll come back here when we're done."
"Thanks Poppy," Harry said gratefully.
"Don't mention it." She quickly gave him a physical, seeing nothing concerning. Then she packed up her things and headed for the Floo, intent on making a stubborn witch see reason.
- H.M. –
Minerva had been sitting in her spot by the river thinking. She'd gone for a run to try and clear her head, but it hadn't helped her much. She was still in turmoil. It wasn't that Harry had seen her have a nightmare. She'd known it was bound to happen with her moving into his room and he'd done a good job of helping her through it. No, it was the content of the nightmare that caused to her to flee as issues she'd never fully dealt with rose to the surface. They overwhelmed her and instead of facing them, she ran. She ran and left poor Harry alone and confused. It was something she regretted, and she promised herself that she would apologize to him, but in that moment, she had allowed her emotions to dictate her actions.
Her silent reflection was interrupted by the arrival of Poppy, who stalked toward her like a woman on a mission.
"What are you doing here?" Minerva asked in surprise.
"Two reasons. One, because Samena wanted me to do a quick check up of you and Harry before you take the purging potion tonight. And two, because I want to know why you haven't told Harry about Cal yet." Before Minerva could answer her, Poppy held up her hand. "Let me do this first." Minerva nodded in acceptance and Poppy did the same thing she'd done for Harry, seeing no problems as well.
"Now, explain."
"I… I don't know. I know that I should have, but it never seemed like a good time."
"Minerva, there's never a right time to tell someone about something like this. You're procrastinating," Poppy pointed out.
"I just feel so conflicted. I'm scared that he might think less of me for what I did. I'm worried that talking about Cal will show that I'm not over him yet. I… I don't like feeling like I'm leading Harry on. Like no matter what I do, I'll never be able to fully give myself to him. Like no matter how much I care about Harry, I'll always be Cal's wife. Or that by being with Harry, I'm somehow betraying Cal's memory. Or at the very least that I'll end up comparing the two of them and mess everything up."
Poppy sighed and pulled her friend into a hug to calm her down. "Minerva, the first thing you need to do is stop overthinking things. Harry is not Callum Baker and if you think about this clearly, you'll realize that. Cal grew up in a stable home, for one, and never had to deal with the kind of pressures that Harry has. Cal was outgoing and loved to be the center of attention, while Harry prefers to keep to himself and select people and likes to avoid attention as much as possible. Cal showed you that there is a chance of a life beyond what you'd experienced growing up. That just because your parents had the relationship they did, it didn't mean that all relationships had to be that way. He taught you how to enjoy and embrace life. But Harry… he's like your kindred spirit. He gets you in a way no one else does because you have similar backgrounds. You both had horrible childhoods for similar reasons. You both know what it's like to feel unwanted and alone, with no one to turn to. And you both were strong enough to rise above it all to become the amazing people you are."
"I didn't think about it that way," Minerva admitted, seeing some of the truth in Poppy's words.
"I know. You were too busy worrying, but you need to realize that they are not the same person. And you aren't the same Minerva that you were with Cal. You've changed."
"You're right. They aren't the same people."
"Exactly. As for betraying Cal's memory, you know just as well as I do, that he would want you to be happy. He'd wouldn't want you to shut yourself off to love out of guilt."
Minerva nodded. "You're right again. Cal would want me to be happy."
"Good, now that you've admitted that out loud, let me remind you that Harry loves you. He will not think badly of you because of what happened."
"But…"
"But nothing Minerva. The only reason Harry might be upset with you, is if you hide it from him and let the first time that he learns about all of this be on the night of the ritual."
That stopped Minerva in her tracks. Poppy was right. Harry was going to see all of her memories and her his. She wouldn't be able to hide this from him and it would be better if she explained it herself. Backing out on being his anchor didn't even cross her mind. It wasn't even an option. "I need to talk to him."
"Now you're talking sense," Poppy said, a smile on her face as she stood up. "Don't worry, I'll send your love to you." Then the healer started walking back toward the house, apparating closer to the house after she took a few steps.
Minerva took a deep breath and tried to organize her thoughts in preparation for what would likely be a difficult conversation.
- H.M. –
Harry practically ran into the Floo the moment Poppy said Minerva would talk to him. When he tumbled out of her fireplace, it took all of his self-control to stop himself from running all the way down there. Then he remembered that he could apparate and was permitted to do so within the wards, so he did that, popping a few meters away from where she was. He could see her outline from his position and he stopped in his tracks as he had no idea what to say to her.
"Harry, I know you're there," Minerva called, ending his indecision. He walked forward until he was standing in front of her.
"Hey," Harry said quietly.
"Hey. I'm sorry for running out on you. You didn't deserve that," Minerva began.
"It's okay, I get it. Whatever your nightmare was about, it really upset you," Harry replied.
Minerva nodded sadly. "It did."
"Andromeda said something bad happened on this day."
"Please sit down. I promise I'll explain everything." Once Harry did, she turned so she was facing him and tentatively reached for his hand. Understanding what she wanted, he grabbed her hand into his and held it securely. "I was married once. His name was Callum Baker. We, along with Poppy, were in the same year and house at Hogwarts and became close friends."
Minerva sighed as she continued. "Cal was like a breath of fresh air. He showed me that despite everything I saw and experienced in my parents' house, I didn't have to spend my life alone to avoid repeating it. That it was possible for me to have a good life, one full of joy and companionship. He did that by being annoyingly confidant and persistent. Literally, he bothered me until I would have a real conversation with him. And I'm glad he did. He helped me to open up to Poppy and let her in as a true friend. Over the years, I went from being annoyed by him and his need to be the center of attention, to falling in love with him. We dated in our last year at school and got married shortly after graduation. While Poppy went on to become a Healer, we enrolled into the Auror academy. Our marriage lasted three years until he was… murdered while we were on the job."
"How?" Harry asked gently.
"Have you heard of a death eater named Antonin Dolohov?"
"Yeah, he's part of Riddle's inner circle. I think he helped kill Molly's brothers."
"Exactly. Before he became a death eater, he went to school with us and joined the aurors at the same time as Cal and I. I didn't realize this at the time, but he'd developed an unhealthy obsession with me. Once, while we were aurors, he tried to pursue me. When he found out that I was married to Cal, he apparently began to hate him. His hate grew so powerful that he set up an ambush to kill Cal and kidnap me."
She paused for a moment to take a deep breath before continuing. "It was during a case that he, another witch named Mia, Cal, and I were investigating. We had received word that the group of dark wizards we were looking for had a safehouse in Berkshire, so we went to surveil it. After spotting two of the men we were looking for go inside the building, he suggested that we get closer. When we were five meters away from the entrance, we were attacked by 11 wizards, including Dolohov. The three of us were completely taken by surprise. I was unable to react fast enough to stop Dolohov and he… he hit Cal with the Killing curse while his back was turned. Cal never had a chance."
A sob escaped her unbidden and she paused to try a regain her composure. When Harry pulled her into his arms, tears began falling down her face and she cried hard into his shoulder. He ran one hand up and down her back and while the other stroked her hair as he did all he could to comfort her. They sat there for what felt like hours and Minerva cried in a way she hadn't in a long time, releasing emotions and pain she didn't realize she still carried with her. Tears fell from his eyes as well, feeling her anguish as clearly as if it was his own, and he buried his face into her hair.
When both of them finally calmed down and their tears had dried, Minerva pulled away and turned her face so Harry couldn't see her.
"Minerva," Harry called softly. "Mina please look at me." Hesitantly, she turned back around to face him, her eyes blotchy and red-rimmed with tear stains on her cheeks. She saw that he only looked slightly better than her. He conjured up two handkerchiefs so they could clean their faces.
"There's more to the story," Minerva said once her face was dry.
"Whatever it is, you can tell me."
"When I saw Cal fall, I became consumed by my anger. Seeing Mia, who was someone I considered a friend, murdered too only fueled my rage. So, I… I killed every single one of them. Except for Dolohov." Her voice became bitter. "He managed to get away, though he left with a reminder of my anger in the form of a large burn across his chest. But the rest of them, I showed no mercy to. And when I was finished and saw what I had done, I was horrified. For a long time, I couldn't forgive myself."
"That's why you left the aurors and went traveling around the world?" There was no judgement or disgust in his eyes for what she'd done.
"Yes. They didn't fire me, but I couldn't go back after that. I didn't know where to go from there and Poppy suggested I spend some time away from Britain, specifically this house. The house me and Cal built together. That's how I met Samena and Matthew. Then eventually, I came back and decided that I wanted to teach. Slowly, I rebuilt my life, finding joy and purpose in molding young minds."
"Did you ever umm… date anyone else?" Harry asked cautiously, trying not to sound too interested in her answer. He was also trying to inject some levity into the dark conversation.
Minerva gave a short laugh. "Not really. I had offers and I went on a few casual outings, but no one kept my interest long enough for me to be serious about them. After a while, I just stopped altogether, believing that my time for that aspect of life had died with Cal."
Harry smiled. "Until me?"
Minerva smiled back at him. "Yes, until you. Somehow, without trying, you managed to worm your way into my heart, reawakening a part of me that I thought was gone for good."
Harry nodded before becoming serious. "You know I don't think any differently about you because of what you did, right?"
"I was afraid that you would."
"Well don't be. The truth is that they would have killed you if you'd given them the chance. Not to mention the fact that you didn't enjoy it and felt guilty because it." Harry looked down for a second. When he looked back up, his eyes showed a deep pain. "Besides, I can't judge you when I've done the same thing."
"What do you mean Harry?" Minerva asked in concern.
Harry stood up and walked closer to the riverbank. He picked up a rock and threw it across the surface, watching it skip four times before speaking. "When I was in Year 5 of primary school, a new kid from America moved here and transferred into my class. The new kid's name was Miles and the teacher had him sit in the desk near mine. Before then, I never had any friends because Dudley and his gang scared everyone off. Despite Dudley's threats though, Miles decided to keep talking to me and for the first time in my life I had a friend."
Harry paused to throw another rock as Minerva stood up and walked over to him. She stopped when she was beside him and grasped his hand, squeezing it in comfort as he continued his story. "He was an orphan like me. His parents were killed by a drunk driver and he was sent to live with his uncle who abused him. They had moved here after his uncle got into some trouble with the law and decided to take refuge here where he had some friends. Miles and I did practically everything together. Snuck into the movies when we didn't have to be in our respective prisons. Read comic books, wishing that we had the powers of the heroes we read about. We even earned money helping out a carpenter named Jack who taught us how to build things with our hands." Harry let out a short laugh. "Jack could create masterpieces with wood, metal, and stone and he taught us a lot about it when we helped out in his shop."
"Before Miles, the only one who'd ever been genuinely nice to me was the music teacher who let me go to her classroom during recess and taught me how to play the piano. Then the summer after he moved here, we found a rather large tree in the nearby forest and decided to build a tree house on it. Jack let us use some of his lumber and made sure we knew what we were doing so we didn't hurt ourselves. It became our oasis away from the harsh realities of our lives. We even got sleeping bags so we could spend the night there when one of us got kicked out of the house. We would help the other sneak out so neither of us had to face the night alone."
"Even when he learned about the weird stuff that happened around me, he still stuck by my side. In fact, he encouraged me to learn more about my magic so that we could use it to gain our freedom." Harry went silent as he remembered where it all went wrong.
"What happened to him?" Minerva asked cautiously.
"Simon happened to him," Harry spat angrily. "He and his gang used to hang out in the skate park a lot. Miles and I, we used to go there sometimes to watch them do parkour."
"What is that?"
"It's basically a method of using the quickest, and most efficient way of getting from one place to another. It involves a lot of running, jumping, climbing, sliding, and vaulting. I've actually been teaching you guys some of it through the obstacle course I created."
"So that's how you can move the way you do."
Harry nodded. "Yeah. We thought it was cool, so we started trying to do it too. When we got good at it, that's when Simon noticed us. He could tell we came from abusive homes, so he tried to collect us. Groom us. He taught us how to fight. Took us out to eat. Bought us gifts. Despite our normal lack of trust for others, I think we both hoped that Simon actually cared about us like Jack. But that wasn't the case."
Harry threw another rock, but this one sunk straight down, his throw fueled with anger. "On July 1st, the summer I got my Hogwarts letter, Simon told us he wanted to show us something. He took us for a ride, and we ended up in what I later learned was one of his gang's safehouses. Four of his guys were there waiting for us. Then he gave us his 'pitch', I guess. Telling us how he ran a 'delivery service' for certain parties. He tried to convince us of the benefits of working for him, but Miles and I weren't interested. We'd made a promise to each other and ourselves that we wouldn't be anything like his uncle or mine. So, he tried to beat us into submitting. But we weren't strangers to pain, so it didn't work either. Finally, he gave us an ultimatum, either we join, or he'd kill one of us. He flipped a coin to choose. It… it landed on heads – for Miles."
Harry almost couldn't finish, but he had to. He'd already made it this far. "I almost gave in, but Miles made me promise to save myself. I begged my magic to work for me so I could save both of us. It did for a moment and we both got free. But then, on of Simon's guys pulled out a gun and shot at us while we were trying to run. Miles got hit and he went down. He was only able to whisper my name before he was gone. All I saw was rage, burning red rage. I wanted them to hurt and my magic responded by sending out pure wave of energy. It slammed all five of them into the walls and destroyed the building. I didn't even look back as I apparated me and Miles's body out of there, back to our treehouse. When we got there, I figured since his uncle wasn't gonna be concerned enough to give him a proper burial, so I dug a grave for him and made a coffin out of leftover wood we had. He's buried in front of our treehouse. I haven't been back since."
Tears were falling freely down his face now and his shoulders were shaking as he cried. Overcome by the emotions he'd kept bottled up inside since that day, he fell down to his knees and grieved for his friend. Without hesitation, Minerva got down in front of him and wrapped her arms around him, crying for the innocence he'd lost at such a young age. In that moment, she realized exactly what Poppy had been trying to get her to see earlier. Both of them had grown up in abusive homes, though hers was more emotional than physical. Both had found someone who helped them to see the bright side of life only to lose them through betrayal. They understood each other so well because they'd lived through similar experiences.
"Is this the first time you've talked about him?" Minerva asked when their tears had dried once again.
Harry nodded ruefully. "I think I buried my feelings and memories when I buried him."
Minerva leaned in and kissed him softly. "Thank you for trusting me enough to tell me."
"Thank you for trusting me too." Harry hesitated before making a decision. "Do you want to see the treehouse? I'm pretty sure it's still there."
"I'd like that." Together, they stood back up and dusted themselves off. Then they linked their arms together and Harry apparated them away.
- H.M. –
They reappeared in a small clearing in a forest near Surrey. In front of them stood a tall tree with a trunk about 10 feet wide. Just like Harry remembered, there were two tire swings hanging from branches on both sides of it. A rope ladder with wood planks for its rungs ran up its midline, leading to the balcony of a rather large tree house. Harry had to gain control of the memories that assaulted him by being here before he was able to focus his attention on the reason they came – the grave at the base of the tree. A small headstone marked its position, with the hand engraved words "Miles Jackson, My brother. Hopefully you will get the peace you deserve that you were robbed of while you were here," along with the dates of his death and birth. He was a bit surprised by how well preserved everything still was, after all of the years that had passed since he'd been there. It was almost like everything had been stuck in time, waiting for him to come back home and face his past.
Minerva stood by quietly, giving him time to process everything. She was impressed at how well built the treehouse was, especially since the two who had built it had been so young. Despite how much she'd already cried today, a few tears fell down her face at the simple, yet meaningful words Harry had carved out on his friend's headstone.
When he was ready, Harry walked to the grave, sitting down once he was right in front of it. "Hey Miles. I know it's been far too long since I've been here. I could tell you that I got busy or that I've been spending most of my time at Hogwarts. But the truth is that I was afraid. Afraid to face the memory of your death. Afraid to deal with the fact that I wasn't strong enough to save you. But now, I think I can. Because I'm not alone anymore. I have friends who've proven that they'll stand by my side." Harry looked back at Minerva and grabbed her hand, pulling her to sit down with him. "And a beautiful woman to help me face whatever obstacles come in my path. So, I've come back to say I'm sorry. If I knew what I knew now, I could have stopped it, but I didn't. But mostly, I'm sorry that I tried to forget you, because you didn't deserve that. You were my first friend. The one who taught me how to have fun and focus on the good things in life instead of letting the bad overwhelm me. From now on, I promise to do my best to live my life to the fullest. To enjoy the good and deal with the bad. Just like we said we would. Thank you for being there for me when I needed you and I hope I'll make you proud."
"Thank you for being there for Harry when no one else was. He would not be the man I love today without you. I promise that I will take care of him to the best of my abilities for as long as he lets me," Minerva added before waving her wand in an intricate pattern over the grave and the entire tree.
"What spell did you cast?"
"One that will ensure this place is protected from the elements forever."
Harry smiled and kissed her cheek in thanks. "Do you want to see the inside before we go?"
"Of course."
The two of them climbed up the ladder until they were standing on the balcony. Harry gave her a quick tour, describing how he and Miles built the place, with Jack's assistance and explaining the different things that were stored in there. Through old comic books, posters from movies he'd seen, pictures of the two of them, and various other odds and ends, he gave her a deeper insight into what his life was like before Hogwarts outside of the Dursley's house. He even showed her some of his and Miles's wooden carvings, something Minerva complimented him on as they were pretty good. The last thing he pointed out before they left was his brotherhood wristband. He and Miles had made matching ones to remind them of their friendship. They were simple leather bands with a rectangular silver plate in the middle. The phrases "Harry and Miles" and "Brothers forever" were engraved on the silver with the Celtic symbol for brotherhood in between them. After a moment's hesitation, Harry picked up his and put it on his left wrist, opposite his communicator. It was time that he started honoring his friend's memory by carrying it with him.
Then, realizing that it was getting late, he and Minerva apparated back to her house so they could Floo to the manor. It was almost time for them to take the purification potions.
- H.M. –
When they got back, the whole group was gathered at the kitchen table as well as Poppy. The healer was there to make sure everything went fine with the potion. No one asked where they'd been as they figured whatever had happened between them was private. Plus, the sight of the couple holding hands reassured them that everything was alright between the two. Because they had to take the potion afterwards, Dobby, Winky, and Kreacher made sure that Harry and Minerva had extra portions to give them the strength they would need. When they had both eaten until they couldn't fit another bite in their stomachs, they along with Samena and Poppy excused themselves from the table.
Once in their bedroom, Harry and Minerva changed into their pajamas and drunk the potions Samena handed to them. Her and Poppy then stayed for an hour just to make sure neither experienced any adverse side effects, before leaving the couple to sleep it off. Poppy made sure to ask Dobby to keep an eye on them during the night and to get her in case of an emergency before going back to Hogwarts.
Thankfully, the couple slept peacefully that night, the emotional exhaustion from their day and the effects of the potion ensuring that no nightmares disturbed their rest.
AN: I tried to make Harry's past as believable as I could while still keeping close to my original idea. I'm sorry if anyone finds it a bit far-fetched. Also, Harry's friend Jack will make a short reappearance later in the story.