CHAPTER 8: THE TRUTH
Harry crashed on the ground, the head of the golden wizard that had served as a portkey rolling on the ground. He glanced around and saw that Dumbledore's Portkey had sent him to the Headmaster's Office. This made him angry. Why hadn't he been sent to the Hospital Wing where Hermione would soon be?
Raising up on his feet, Harry walked toward the exit and tried to open the door. He couldn't. The door had been locked! He tried a few times before he gave up and kicked it in an angry huff. He stood in front of the door; his eyes closed. Memories of the evening were creeping back up. He kept seeing Hermione get hit by that damn curse and Sirius falling through the Veil. He remembered blowing up and accidentally killing Dolohov — the Death Eater who had sent the curse at Hermione — with a Reductor Curse. He hadn't planned to kill him but his curse had been so overpowered by Harry's anger that — when it had hit the Death Eater's head — it had blown up in pieces.
Harry couldn't avoid the guilt that crashed through his body. There was no escape. It was his fault that Sirius had died, his fault that his girlfriend was inches away from death. Hermione had told him that it was probably a trap, and Harry hadn't listened to her! It had cost Sirius his life! It had nearly cost Hermione's as well!
The fireplace flared green and Dumbledore came out of it. Harry wanted to ask how was everyone, how was Hermione but the words were stuck in his throat.
As if he knew what Harry was thinking about, Dumbledore spoke up. "Well, Harry. You will be pleased to hear that none of your fellow students are going to suffer lasting damage from the night's events." Harry let out a breath of relief. Hermione was safe! She was safe! He tried to say "Good." but, again, no sound came out. "Everyone else should make a full recovery — but Miss Tonks might need to stay a few days at St. Mungo's."
Harry closed his eyes. "Why am I here?" he asked. "I should be in the Hospital Wing — with Hermione!"
"And you will be able to visit her." said the headmaster. "I just need to speak to you first."
"I don't give a shit about what you want to say!" yelled Harry. He was angry — very, very angry. "I should be with Hermione! She's injured because of me!"
"Harry... it isn't your fault..." said Dumbledore, attempting to appease Harry. It didn't work.
"SHUT UP!" yelled the younger man. "I don't want to hear it!"
Dumbledore sighed sadly. "I know how you feel, Harry."
Harry snorted. "No, you don't." he said, his voice suddenly sounding venomous.
"There is no shame in what you are feeling, Harry. On the contrary, the fact that you can feel pain like this is your greatest strength..."
"My greatest strength!?" said Harry, nearly yelling again. "How... How is that supposed to make me strong!?"
"It makes you strong because —"
"Shut up! I don't want to hear it!"
"Harry, suffering like this proves that you are still a man! This pain is part of being human..."
Harry finally snapped. He didn't try to reign in his anger anymore. "THEN I DON'T WANT TO BE HUMAN!" he shouted before seizing one of Dumbledore's silver trinkets laying around on a small wooden table and threw it across the room. The trinket shattered into multiple tiny pieces when it hit the wall. "I'VE HAD ENOUGH, I'VE SEEN ENOUGH, I WANT OUT, I WANT IT TO END, I DON'T WANT TO FIGHT ANYMORE!" Harry took another trinket and threw it in the fireplace before he took the whole table and threw it on the wall, breaking apart.
"You do care." said Dumbledore, not looking shocked at Harry's display. "You care so much you feel as though you will bleed to death with the pain of it. You are hurt that Miss Granger —"
"SHUT UP! SHUT UP! DON'T YOU DARE SAY HER NAME!" he yelled but it was too much. With an angry shout, Harry turned away and went to the door. He tried opening it yet again but it didn't bulge. "Let me out." he hissed.
"No." said Dumbledore simply.
Harry looked at Dumbledore, his eyes full of fury. "Let. Me. Out!" he ordered. "I need to see Hermione!"
"No." repeated Dumbledore with a sigh. "Not until I have had my say."
"Didn't you get it, old man? I DON'T CARE WHAT YOU'VE GOT TO SAY TO ME! I NEED TO SEE HERMIONE — SO LET ME OUT!"
"Harry — I promise you that once you have listened to what I need to say, you will be able to go see Miss Granger at the Hospital Wing. Now, please, take a seat."
Harry glared again at Dumbledore and continued to do so while he was slowly making his way to a seat.
"Now, Harry, I owe you an explanation..."
To Harry's surprise, Dumbledore started by blaming himself for what had happened that night. It helped Harry slightly, knowing that he didn't share all of the blame but he still felt horrendously guilty about what had happened to Sirius and Hermione, especially Hermione who had followed him to the Department of Mysteries just because Harry had refused to believe in her warnings. She had been the one in their group to bear the cost.
Then, Dumbledore shared the suspicions that Voldemort would try to bring him to the Ministry to get the Prophecy and his failure to share them with Harry as — like he had said — if he had done so then perhaps Harry would have realized it was a trap. Harry had told him how Hermione had realized this too but Harry hadn't believed her anyway. Dumbledore had simply retorted by saying that Harry already had convinced himself that his vision was real and that nobody could have dissuaded him from his belief. The only way it could have changed was if Harry had known it advance that Voldemort was likely to try something like that.
Dumbledore told Harry that when Voldemort had tried to possess Harry, he was seeking out his destruction at Dumbledore's hand, hoping that the headmaster would have sacrificed his student for Voldemort's death. That Harry had managed to fight him with his love for his friends, for his godfather but — most importantly — his love for Hermione.
The two wizards then talked loudly about Kreacher and Sirius until they finally arrived at the point of this whole talk. The Prophecy.
"...the thing that was smashed was merely the record of the prophecy kept by the Department of Mysteries. But the prophecy was made to somebody, and that person has the means of recalling it perfectly."
"Who heard it?"
"I did," said Dumbledore. "It took place on a cold, wet night sixteen years ago, in a room above the bar at the Hog's Head Inn. I had gone there to see an applicant for the post of Divination teacher, though it was against my inclination to allow the subject to continue. However, the applicant was the great-great-granddaughter of a very famous, very gifted Seer, and I thought it common politeness to meet her. I was disappointed. It seemed to me that she had not a trace of the gift herself."
"Wait, you mean Professor Trelawney?" asked Harry with shock. Then he remembered what the headmaster had told him in his Third Year after he witnessed Professor Trelawney fall into a weird trance. He had told him that she had done her second true prophecy.
"Yes Harry." said Dumbledore, raising up on his feet and bringing his pensieve on the desk. "This is what it says..."
"The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. — Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies — and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not — and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. — The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies..."
Harry palled. "I have to kill him? Either he dies or I do?"
Professor Dumbledore nodded. "Yes. The only person who has a chance of conquering Lord Voldemort for good was born at the end of July, nearly sixteen years ago. This boy would be born to parents who had already defied Voldemort three times."
Harry closed his eyes, a tear leaking out of his eye. It was too dangerous to be close to people. Now that he knew that Voldemort really was after him, and that Harry was his number one target, he knew that no-one could be allowed too close to him. Maybe it was better like this. Hermione wouldn't have to suffer again...
"I know what you are thinking Harry, but pushing your loved ones away will not help anyone, especially not you."
"I'm too dangerous. People could die — people have died because... because of me! Cedric! Sirius! And Hermione was almost lost today!"
"Harry, I believe that 'The Power the Dark Lord knows not' is love. Love is one of the strongest forms of magic on Earth. Pushing away people you love would lower your chances to succeed against Lord Voldemort. I have no doubts that Miss Granger will tell you the same thing when you next see her."
He only nodded. He would forget about it for the time being.
"When I learned what had happened in Godric's Hollow all those nights ago, I realized that Voldemort wasn't gone forever. I knew not whether he would come back in ten, twenty or fifty years but I was sure he would do. Knowing that he wouldn't rest until he killed you, I brought you to your only remaining family, the Dursleys. There, you would be protected by various powerful enchantments of ancient magic — of which he knows and despises — and which he has always, therefore, underestimated — to his cost. I am, of course, speaking about the love of your mother, a protection that he never expected. I therefore put my trust in your mother's blood and delivered you to her sister, her only remaining relative..."
Harry snorted. "She doesn't love me." he said. "She doesn't give a damn..." However, something at the back of his mind was tingling. He felt like he had just been given a piece of a puzzle.
"But she took you in." Dumbledore cut across him. "She may have done so unwillingly but in doing so, she sealed the charm that I placed upon you. Your mother's sacrifice made the bond of blood the strongest shield I could give you."
"What do you mean?" he asked. He felt like he had just been given a second piece of a puzzle he was so close of solving.
"You probably wondered why couldn't some wizarding family have taken you in? It was simply because while you could still call home the place where your mother's blood dwelled, you couldn't be touched or harmed by Voldemort. Your mother's blood became your refuge. As long as you could still call it home."
"Other families wanted to take me in?" he asked. A third piece. It was as if his brain was trying to solve something very important.
"Yes. Some good families such as the Weasleys, Diggorys, Tonks or Longbottoms had offered to take you in but some others like the Lestranges, Malfoys and Averys also wanted you to become their ward." said Dumbledore. "Thankfully, I managed to deal with all of their offers so that you would be able to stay with your family."
Harry frowned. Then, it finally clicked.
"Why?" said Harry in a hurt, betrayed voice. "I-I don't k-know." cried Hermione. "I-I wanted to s-say yes b-but before I d-did so, I s-suddenly felt angry at my p-parents' idea and I s-said no."
"Thankfully, I managed to deal with all of their offers so that you would be able to stay with your family."
Harry raised to his feet, trembling in rage. His eyes were full of fury. All at once, Harry was feeling all of the negative emotions both he and Hermione had felt following their separation back when they were small children. The feelings or betrayal — confusion — loss — pain...
Everything!
Hermione had said many times that she had never understood why she suddenly felt angry at the idea of having Harry live with them. She was never able to explain it, to her shame and embarrassment. He now understood why. It had been Dumbledore's fault all along!
"Did one of these families happened to be the Grangers?" he hissed quietly.
Dumbledore frowned for a bit before his eyes suddenly widened in surprise. It was confirmation enough for Harry.
"What did you do?" he whispered.
"Harry... I did what I had to do so that you could live with your family —"
"What. Did. You. Do?"
Dumbledore sighed. "I learned that a muggle family wanted to adopt you. The day I decided to see who they were, I found them in the nearby park — sitting at a table of an ice-cream parlour. When I heard Miss Granger's parents talk about moving out of town and wanting to adopt you to bring you with them, I put a Confundus Charm on Miss Granger to refuse the idea and then Compulsion Charms on her parents so that they would move out the next morning." said Dumbledore. "I had not known Miss Granger was a witch — otherwise I would have explained the situation to them. I only realized that fact once I saw Miss Granger's reaction to the Confundus Charm. It was too strong — it had been cast with someone lacking magic in mind. By the time I realized the truth, it was too late to fix my mistake." He dared looking ashamed!
Harry blew up.
"I CAN'T BELIEVE IT! DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOUR ACTIONS DID? NOT ONLY DID YOUR ACTIONS SEPARATE US OF OUR ONLY FRIEND, IT SENTENCED ME TO SIX YEARS OF ABUSE! HERMIONE DIDN'T TRUST HERSELF TO HAVE ANY FRIENDS IN THE FOLLOWING YEARS BECAUSE SHE DIDN'T KNOW WHY SHE HAD SO VIOLENTLY REFUSED! SHE BELIEVED SHE HAD BETRAYED ME! IT WAS THE SAME THING FOR ME! I DIDN'T TRUST ANYONE TO BE MY FRIEND AGAIN! YOU CLAIM THAT MY GREATEST POWER IS LOVE — YET, WHEN YOU PUSHED HERMIONE AWAY, I STARTED BELIEVING THAT I WASN'T WORTHY OF BEING LOVED! THAT I WAS A FREAK LIKE MY SO-CALLED FAMILY WAS TELLING ME ALL ALONG! IT WAS BECAUSE OF YOU THAT HERMIONE AND I DIDN'T BECOME FRIENDS AGAIN UNTIL HALLOWEEN WHEN I NEARLY DIED TO SAVE HER — BECAUSE THE TROLL JUST SO HAPPENED TO BE IN THE SAME BATHROOM WHERE HERMIONE HAD HIDDEN IN — BECAUSE RON HAD INSULTED HER AFTER SHE HAD ANNOYED HIM — BECAUSE SHE WAS TRYING TO BECOME MY FRIEND AGAIN WHILE I DIDN'T WANT TO — BECAUSE I FELT LIKE SHE HAD BETRAYED ME — BECAUSE YOU USED MAGIC TO PUSH HER AWAY!" he shouted.
Dumbledore closed his eyes. For the first time in Harry's life, Dumbledore wept. It was very hard to stay angry at someone who was crying which, ironically enough, made him even angrier. Taking a deep breath, he said "I'm going to see Hermione and, this time, I'm not taking no for an answer! If you have more to tell me then you'll have to shove it!"
Dumbledore nodded weakly. Harry heard a 'click' from the door. Harry walked toward the exit and was glad when the door opened. He slammed it shut behind and made his way toward the Hospital Wing.
"Mr. Dumbledore did that to you?" asked Rose aghast. "That's why Mum rejected you? Because the Professor used magic on Mummy?"
"Yes." said Harry sadly. "I don't think I really trusted the man after that. I did trust him in the fight against the bad man Voldemort but I didn't trust him for anything remotely personal. In hindsight, I can understand why he did so — though I certainly don't agree with the act itself. I'm also happy with the unexpected results. If it wasn't for that, you might not have been alive today."
"What!?" exclaimed his shocked five-year-old daughter. "Why? I want to be alive!"
Harry chuckled. "You are alive Rose and we will always love you." he said before kissing her on her forehead. "What I was saying was that, had Dumbledore not interfered, Hermione and I would have grown up as brother and sister. Had it been the case, we might never have fallen in love, which would mean that we would never have had you." he said. "Hermione was injured at the time so she didn't learn about Dumbledore's betrayal until she was better..."
The Battle of the Department of Mysteries had taken place three days ago. Three days ago, Sirius Black had died. Three days ago, Hermione had been cursed and nearly lost her life. Harry hadn't left her bedside since he came back from his talk with Dumbledore.
Harry was still angry at the old man. His simple actions had separated Harry and Hermione and made their next six years miserable. While it hadn't cost as much for Hermione as it had for Harry, Hermione had been incredibly lonely during her childhood while Harry had to go through abuse by the Dursleys. Abuse becoming worse and worse. Dumbledore's actions had made Hermione lose trust in herself and made Harry resent Hermione. And all that so that the Blood Protection could continue to exist.
Harry had stayed in the Hospital Wing day and night, holding her hand and sitting at her bedside as much as possible. Madam Pomfrey had reassured him when he had first arrived, telling him that Hermione would wake up in a few days and that she was simply unconscious to allow her body heal itself efficiently. Ron was also staying in the Hospital Wing because of his injuries but — unlike Hermione — he had woken up the first day. Ron was sleeping a few beds away from Hermione and Harry.
That night, Harry had fallen asleep while holding her hand, sitting on a wooden chair — his head in Hermione's lap.
Hermione slowly woke up in the middle of the night. It took her a few seconds to recognise where she was. She felt something on her lap while something else — something warm — was in her hand. Looking down, she noticed that it was Harry who had fallen asleep holding her hand. She smiled. That scene looked very familiar to when Harry had woken up three weeks after the troll in First Year. The roles had only been reversed.
Hermione squeezed Harry's hand, remembering that he had done so in their First Year. Unsurprisingly, Harry woke up and looked around confused until his gaze sharpened as if realizing something and he suddenly snapped his head toward Hermione. Chocolate brown eyes met bright emerald green eyes.
"Hermione?" croaked Harry. She was surprised to see dark bags under Harry's eyes. He looked really tired. She realized that she must have been out for a few days. Hermione nodded to Harry. "Thank Merlin." he said, before he started to sob. His head fell back on her lap and Hermione took him in her arms. She slowly led Harry upward until his head was resting on her shoulders. With a kiss on the top of his head, she whispered in his ear "It's alright. I'm here — I'm fine. I'm with you, Harry." in repetition until he calmed down.
"I wouldn't have survived if I had lost you too..."
The blood drained from Hermione's face, a cold feeling washing over her spine. "What do you mean, 'lost you too'?"
Harry froze before he started sobbing again. "Hermione... Hermione..."
"Harry... please... who?"
"S-Sirius!" he said. Hermione gasped. "S-Sirius is — he's d-dead!"
"No!" she gasped before she started crying as well. The couple held each other as they mourned. "Who else?" she asked.
"H-He was the only one." whispered Harry. "But o-others got injured. Ron g-got hurt by giant b-brains, Ginny's ankle and N-Neville's nose were broken and Luna got a c-concussion. T-Tonks is at St-Mungo's."
"Everyone else is alright?"
"Yes." whispered Harry. "Everyone else is fine."
"Thank Merlin." she said.
A silence.
"I'm so sorry." said her boyfriend.
Knowing that Harry was blaming himself — as he always did — she said "Don't. I don't blame you for ending up here so don't blame yourself."
"But it was a trap! And you knew but you still came because of me and you almost died!"
Taking his head in her hands, she slowly lifted it until his face was straight in front of hers'. She kissed him. Harry kissed back hungrily, albeit rather slowly at first. "Listen here Harry. It was my decision to follow you. You tried to make me stay behind and I came for you. It is not your fault."
Her stubborn boyfriend finally relented before posing his head on her chest. "I love you. I love you, so much. I don't know what I would do without you in my life." he whispered.
"I love you too." she answered back. She was about to tell him to go to sleep when she remembered their first year. Hermione slowly moved herself away from Harry, to his confusion, before she let enough distance between them for someone else to climb on the bed. Hermione smiled before tapping the empty spot on the bed. Harry let out a small, wet laugh in recognition.
"Wouldn't Madam Pomfrey be angry at us?"
"Well — she didn't punish us in First Year, did she?"
"No, but we weren't hormonal teenagers then." said Harry with a small snort. However, he didn't protest and climbed on the bed.
"Sleep Harry. You look tired. We can talk tomorrow."
"Yes..." whispered Harry, already falling asleep. "Goodnight, Hermione."
"Goodnight, Harry."
The next morning, Harry woke up confused. He didn't remember going back to Gryffindor Tower — yet he was clearly sleeping in a bed. He could see through the window a dark pink sky, indicating that the Sun was rising. He was also confused by the sudden weight on the left side of his chest. Turning around, he was shocked to see Hermione. Her hair was splattered all around the pillows while her head was resting on his chest.
And then, everything came flooding back. He remembered how she had woken up in the middle of the night and let him sleep in her bed. Harry smiled goofily before he put his nose in Hermione's hair.
"Morning, handsome." muttered Hermione.
"Morning, beautiful." said Harry. "How are you?"
"My chest hurt but it's nothing potions can't help with." she answered, her head still on his chest. "You?"
Harry had learned a long time ago that "I'm fine." just didn't work with Hermione anymore. She knew that his "I'm fine." meant anything but that and had requested that Harry stop hiding his feelings from her when he was hurt. So, he answered.
"Emotionally exhausted because of everything that happened. Oh, and I'm also pissed at Dumbledore."
Hermione frowned. She expected the first part but not his comment at Dumbledore. "What did he do?" she asked. She felt Harry tense. "Harry?" she asked, raising her head to look in his eyes.
"I'm not sure it's the right moment to talk about it..." said Harry, avoiding her eyes.
"Harry — please..." she whispered.
Her boyfriend sighed. "You remember the prophecy, right?"
"What happened to it?" she asked, suddenly. She had completely forgotten about it.
"The sphere was smashed when Neville dropped it during the battle." he said. "However, that sphere was a copy stored in the Department of Mysteries. The prophecy had been made to someone who was later able to tell it to me."
"Who?"
"Dumbledore. The prophecy goes as follow: 'The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. — Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies — and the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not — and either must die at the hand of the other for neither can live while the other survives. — The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord will be born as the seventh month dies...'"
"Y-You?" whispered Hermione, her skin becoming whiter.
Harry nodded. "It could have been two boys. Neville or I but Voldemort choose me and 'marked him as his equal,'" he said, pointing at his scar.
Hermione was slowly trembling in fear. Harry noticed that and took her in his arms. "I love you, Harry." she said. "I'll always be with you, to the end."
"I love you too Hermione." he said, content to just hold her.
The couple stayed silent for a few minutes before Hermione spoke again. "Is the prophecy what you said Dumbledore did to us?"
"No, but it led to that." he said. "Do you remember when you refused your parents' idea of adopting me?" he suddenly asked. Hermione froze. Why was Harry asking her that?
"Y-Yes — why are you..."
"Hermione, please, tell me how you felt?"
She gulped. "Well at first, I was happy but — before I could say anything — I suddenly felt so angry at the idea without knowing why. It was like I had been hit with a Confun..." she said before it suddenly clicked. Her eyes widened. "No! Please tell me he didn't?" she pleaded.
Harry nodded sadly, knowing that Hermione had reached the right conclusion. There was a reason why she was considered the brightest witch of her age. Tears leaked out of Hermione's eyes. "Why?" she asked painfully.
"After what happened to my parents, Dumbledore brought me to Privet Drive. He wanted me to live with a blood relation of my mother so that he could put powerful protections based on her love. Dumbledore told me that many wizarding families had wanted to get guardianship of me but he had fought all of their offers. In a way, it was a good thing since some families like the Malfoys and Lestranges tried to get my guardianship, which would have been a disaster but, they weren't the only ones. Some good families like the Weasleys and Longbottoms also wanted me but Dumbledore was able to talk them out of it.
"What he couldn't do was talk muggles out of adopting me since Dumbledore would be an unknown with no power in the muggle world. So, when a small family of two dentists and a small girl living at Privet Drive tried to adopt me, Dumbledore caught wind of it and went to meet the young family, hoping to stop them from doing so.
"He found the family while they were sitting outside of an ice-cream parlour. He heard the parents talk about moving out of town with both me and their daughter and Dumbledore realized that he couldn't allow it if he wanted me to stay under the blood protection. When the parents asked their daughter about her opinion, he saw an opportunity. He — he sent a Confundus Charm on the daughter to reject the idea — not knowing the daughter was a witch and that her magic would amplify the charm, making her react much more strongly. He then put Compulsion Charms on each parent to make them move away as soon as possible..."
"Dumbledore separated us?" cried Hermione. For so long, she had believed that it was her fault and had endlessly blamed herself for it. To hear from her boyfriend — the other victim — that it had been Dumbledore all along — a man she highly respected — hurt her a lot.
"Yes. I'm sorry." said Harry, holding her even closer to him.
The couple held each other in silence for a few minutes. Then, Hermione spoke.
"You're coming to Crawley with us." she nearly ordered.
"W-What?" Harry stuttered.
"You're coming with us. It might be ten years too late but you are coming home."
"Home..." smiled Harry. "I can't wait until we have our own home." he said, making Hermione smile as well.
"Maybe we will have a small home in a village?"
"Like my parents had in Godric's Hollow? We could have our own small cottage in a mixed muggle and wizarding village."
"With a backyard so that our kids could fly with their father..." she said, smiling to Harry.
"And a big enough library where they could read with their mother..." he said before sighing. "I really hope I will survive the war because that's my dream. A family, that's what I want for our future."
"You will survive or I will revive you just to kill you myself." said Hermione seriously before she started giggling. Harry quickly followed with a chuckle.
"Mum took it better than I thought." said Rose.
"I thought the same, at the time. Just like me, she stopped trusting Dumbledore with everything. At the time, your mother still had this kind of worship of authority figures. While she didn't think they could do no wrong, like she had originally believed when we started Hogwarts, she had still believed that they generally knew best. The revelation that Dumbledore, one of the most powerful and loved figures in the magical world had been the one to separate us when we were young shattered that belief. Like me, she continued to turn to Dumbledore for anything related to Voldemort but, if it was something remotely personal, she wouldn't trust him.
"Dumbledore and us... we would thankfully part on good terms before his death. While part of me will always be disappointed in his decision, I've come to understand just why he did it and I don't resent him anymore, especially not when it resulted in Hermione and I having you."
Rose smiled. "Dad?" she asked.
"What is it, Rose?"
"You never told me when you met grandma and grandpa again."
Harry smiled. "That's good because it happens to be the next part of the story. Your mother had told me that I would come with her to Crawley that summer. Not obeying Hermione is a dangerous game." said Harry with a chuckle. "So, I decided to come. It would be better than the Dursleys, that's for sure. I was very stressed and anxious on the Hogwarts Express while we were returning home..."
Hermione sighed before closing her book. Harry had spent the last ten minutes pacing in the compartment she, Harry and Ron had taken. In a way, she couldn't make him stop as she knew he was anxious. She also was.
While Hermione was in the Hospital Wing, she had written a letter to her parents explaining everything that had happened in the last few days — including Dumbledore's confession — before asking if Harry could come live with them that summer. The Grangers had been incensed to learn of the truth and had readily accepted to host Harry until they returned to Hogwarts for their Sixth Year.
Harry was nervous because in less than ten minutes, he would be reunited with the only two adults he had trusted and loved during his childhood, the only ones who had come the closest to feeling like parents to Harry. Mr. and Mrs. Weasley had come close too but not as much as Mr. and Mrs. Granger.
Another reason why Harry was anxious was because he had pretty much been avoiding them ever since he had reunited with Hermione. Thankfully, they had really only been close to each other when they were at King's Cross Station. It had been easy to avoid them when going to the platform because the Grangers always dropped Hermione early while Harry always arrived late. It was the same thing at the end of the school year. Hermione would always immediately seek her parents — who would always be there on time. Harry would always one of the last to leave the train and Platform Nine-and-Three-Quarters although, in that case, it was more about avoiding the Dursleys for as long as possible.
But now? Harry was about to meet them. Like, for real. He was freaking out.
He hadn't seen them since he was five-year-old. He had seen them from afar in the past but that was it. He was also anxious about how he would be treated by them now that he was Hermione's boyfriend.
"Harry." said Hermione, finally speaking up. "Just sit down."
"Yeah mate." said Ron. "I know you are anxious but pacing doesn't help anyone."
Harry sighed before he sat down alongside Hermione. His girlfriend gave him a reassuring smile before she put her arm around his waist. Harry did the same to her and together, they waited for the train to arrive at the station.
Precisely seven minutes later, the Hogwarts Express slowed down as it arrived at Platform Nine-And-Three-Quarters. Harry and Hermione were already ready to go and left the train together before crossing the barrier toward the muggle side of the station.
"Do you see them around?" asked Hermione to her boyfriend. When he didn't answer, she looked at him. His eyes were fixed on a point in front of him. Looking in the same direction, Hermione found her parents. "Let's go Harry." she whispered to him. She saw him give her a small nod but he looked like he was about to throw up. "It's going to be fine. They never forgot about you and still love you." she said before slowly dragging Harry toward her parents.
"Mum! Dad!" she nearly shouted to them when they were only a few feet from them. Hermione immediately took her father in a hug before doing the same to her mother. Harry stopped behind her, letting the family reunite.
It was funny, in a way, to see Hermione in her parents' arms. The last time he had properly seen them, Harry and Hermione had barely been tall enough to reach their thighs. Now, Hermione was about an inch taller than her mother while Harry — who was a head taller — was about the same height as her father.
After receiving a hug from their daughter Daniel and Emma looked at her companion: Harry Potter. They hadn't seen him in person since he was five-year-old — although they had glanced at him in the past and had seen his picture in the Daily Prophet many times. It was obvious to both parents that Harry looked incredibly uncomfortable and nervous.
"Hey Harry!" said Dan, trying to break the tension. "You're all grown up!" Harry gave a small smile, not knowing whether it was meant as a compliment or if it was just stated as a fact. The tension was broken when Emma decided that there was only one way to bring Harry out of his nervous shell. She walked to him and took him in a bone crushing hug. Harry gasped in surprise. It felt so much like Hermione's own hugs!
"I'm so sorry that we left you behind." whispered Emma in Harry's ear. "We saw you as the son we never had, yet we left without you."
"It's not your fault." said Harry, speaking for the first time. "Dumbledore used magic on all three of you to do exactly that."
"Still..." she started but was interrupted by Harry.
"I forgive you, if that's what you want to know."
"Thank you." she said emotionally. Emma let go of Harry before whipping the few tears that had leaked out.
"Emma is right." said Dan, giving him a fatherly tap on his back. "For us, you were the son we never had and you were always welcomed at the Grangers and you will always be." before he offered his hand.
Harry shook it. "Thank you, sir."
"Please, don't call me 'Sir'!" he whined, making both women giggles. "Just Dan." he said, smiling.
"And Emma." said Emma.
"Thank you." said Harry, smiling.
"Well, shall we go then?" asked Hermione. The group all nodded and, together, they left the station. The family was reunited for the first time in ten years...
"And that's how I was reunited with grandma and grandpa!" said Harry with a grin.
"When will we visit grandma and grandpa?" asked Rose.
"Hmm... How about tomorrow? It will be Friday and you don't have school on Fridays. Dan and Emma's practice is not open on Fridays either so they will be home. We will visit them tomorrow." said Harry.
"Yay!" cheered Rose. Harry chuckled. "What did you do that summer?" she asked.
"Ah! — That summer was one of the best!" he exclaimed. "It certainly was the best summer I ever had during my Hogwarts years, that's for sure. As what we did, we went to Germany! Your grandparents had taken the habit of taking Hermione on the European mainland during the summer. After our first year, they went to Spain for two weeks. The next summer, Dan, Emma and Hermione went to France for nearly a whole month. Then, the summer after that, they visited Italy for a week. It was only a short vacation they had since Hermione wanted to attend the Quidditch World Cup, which was taking place that summer. Unfortunately, your grandparents weren't able to take Hermione to vacation the summer before our fifth year. It was too dangerous. Dumbledore had come to warn the Grangers about what had happened at the end of the school year. Dan and Emma agreed to stay in Britain, and their home was warded to defend against intruders. Hermione spent most of that summer with the Weasleys at my godfather's house.
"The next summer was the one where I stayed with them. Like I said earlier, we didn't trust Dumbledore with our personal lives anymore so when Dan and Emma announced that they wanted to go to Germany that summer, we simply went." Then, he chuckled. "When they announced it, I was devastated. I had only been with the Grangers for a week by that point but I loved being reunited with your grandparents. When they announced their plans, I thought I would have to leave and find somewhere else to stay. Emma must have noticed my face because she immediately said that I was coming with them. I think I cried that day. I had never felt so welcomed and comfortable in my life."
"Grandma and grandpa are great." said Rose, giving her father a hug.
"That they are." smiled Harry. "Our visit in Germany was great. We took a plane from London to Cologne. We first stayed in that city for a few days before moving to Frankfurt. After that, we went to Nuremberg, then Munich and finished with Stuttgart." Harry chuckled. "I remember when we were in Stuttgart. Stuttgart is the city where Porsche — the car-makers — are located. In that city, there is a big museum which focus on the history of Porsche. It's filled with cars from across their long history. Dan and I absolutely wanted to visit that museum and we dragged some very reluctant Emma and Hermione with us. The two of us were acting like kids in Honeydukes."
"Honeydukes!" cried Rose. "I love that place!"
Harry blinked before looked at her. "How would you know? I never took you to Honeydukes." Rose suddenly blushed and muttered something. "What was it? I didn't understand."
"Uncle Ron." she said simply.
Harry groaned. Of course, Ron would do so. He was wondering whether or not he should confront him or… or he could talk to Susan instead. A small, evil smile crept on his face. For all the times Ron mocked him for being "whipped", Harry wanted to see whether or not it was true for Ron as well.
"Dad?" asked Rose, weakly. Harry looked at her. From the look on her face, Harry realized he had to say something so that she wouldn't start crying like on Halloween.
"Oh! I'm not disappointed in you, Rose." said Harry, hugging her. Like on Halloween, Rose snuggled in his chest. "Ron however... Let's just say I'll complain to Susan and let her deal with it." he grinned.
Rose chuckled. "Uncle Ron said that Aunt Susan would make him sleep on the sofa if she knew he had taken me there."
"Good to know." laughed Harry. Still holding his daughter in his arms, he decided to continue the story.
"We came back in the United Kingdom the day before my birthday. I remember on my birthday. When I woke up, I came down the stairs and walked in the parlour." He let out an embarrassed sounding chuckle. "I had completely forgotten it was my birthday, having never celebrated it properly before so when I came inside the parlour and hear your grandparents and mother shout "SURPRISE!", I got so surprised that my instincts took over. I withdrew my wand and sent a stunner and the closest person to me, which was Dan."
Rose burst out laughing. She was in stitches, imagining her father stunning her grandfather and seeing him fall to the ground like a puppet whose strings had been cut.
"Yeah..." said Harry sheepishly. "Let me tell you that your mother was not impressed. After I revived Dan, we all apologised to each other. Them for surprising me and not taking into consideration that surprises were dangerous things to do in a time of war and me for having a knee-jerk reaction and immediately attacking them before trying to figure out what was going on. We laughed about it later on.
The Ministry didn't think it was that funny. Unbeknownst to us, the Ministry had been monitoring my magic more closely than others. They figured that if I used magic, it meant that I was being attacked by the bad man's supporters so — when they recorded the use of a stunning spell — they immediately dispatched a few Aurors, believing that some bad wizards had decided to attack me on my birthday. They weren't exactly happy to learn that it was a false alarm."
Rose had nearly stopped laughing but when her father talked about being visited by Aurors, she began laughing again.
"The next day, we received the results of our O.W.L. Exams and our Hogwarts letter for Sixth Year. We visited Diagon Alley, going to Gringotts first to withdraw some money. While there, the Goblins asked for an audience with me. Since I was a year away from being an adult, the Goblins decided it was time for me to start learning about my full inheritance. I learned while there that I had inherited a home from my grandparents Fleamont and Euphemia Potter."
"Where is it?" asked Rose.
"Shipton's Lynn."
"But — that's here!" said Rose.
"Yep!" he said, throwing his arms round to indicate the house "This once was my grandparents' house. That's where your grandfather James grew up." he said which made Rose grin. She had Harry's grin.
"We spent the rest of the month together, being relatively happy. We had been invited to spend a few weeks with the Weasleys, which we did at the end of the summer holidays. Relative to the rest of our schooling, and considering that the war had just begun, our Sixth Year was surprisingly quiet. Hermione and I had our first and only big fight in our relationship at the beginning of the year. I had discovered a potions textbook belonging to the 'Half-Blood Prince.' The book had improved potions recipes and various type of spells. Hermione didn't trust the book and didn't want me to use it. On my side, I didn't understand why Hermione wouldn't want to use the improved recipes in Potions classes since it gave better results, which meant better grades. Hermione believed it to be cheating. I didn't. We fought on it and we ended up compromising. I would let Hermione study the textbook and, in exchange, she would let me use any improved recipes in potions classes — as long as they were safe. We ended up being both right about the book. The recipes were safe — like I had said — but the spells weren't — like Hermione had said. Some of the spells written in the book were atrocious. Had I used one of those on someone, I could have easily killed them without meaning to. We magically wiped the spells from the book, which left me with only the improved recipes." said Harry.
"That year, Hermione, Ron and I learned about the life of the bad wizard Voldemort, whose real name was Tom Riddle. We learned that we absolutely had to do if we wanted to defeat the bad man, which was to destroy a certain number of objects. When Dumbledore passed away, Hermione, Ron and I decided to hunt those objects.
"Hermione feared for the lives of her parents so, that summer, with their authorisation, we moved them here, in Shipton's Lynn. Your grandparents temporarily closed their practice. Hermione used a charm called the Fidelius to hide the house from bad men while your grandparents stayed inside. Shortly after, we left and began hunting, using my godfather's house as a base of operation. We wouldn't see your grandparents again until the beginning of December when Ron became really sick. We brought him there so that your grandparents could take care of him. Two weeks later, we came back because Hermione and I had just taken a very important decision, something we decided while we visited Godric's Hollow, where your paternal grandparents James and Lily are resting..."