Harry staggered and fell to the ground, both hands meeting the high, wet grass of the field, which Aunt Petunia might have qualified as wild land. The air was particularly cool, even cold, as a rough wind attacked their faces, sliding against their skin and through their hair. He got up slowly along with the others, and after checking if Saki was okay after her first Portkey trip, he turned his gaze to the house in the distance, whose chimney was lit, smoke billowing from the crooked roof. The house hadn't changed; nothing had changed. He recognized the dirt path that led to the entrance, the chickens pecking on the grounds, and the garage that once housed the Ford Anglia he and Ron had stolen to go to Hogwarts. Recalling this memory gave him a feeling of comfort and happiness. He looked at Ron, who smiled back at him, then heard Saki make a sound of amazement behind him, the exact same exclamation he had had at the age of twelve, after seeing this unique house for the first time.

"Well... it's home," said Ron, pointing to the high house.

"Wow... it's amazing!" Saki exclaimed.

Gary, who hadn't said a word from the restaurant in New York, joined Harry and continued to stare at the house with a serious expression. Harry glanced at him but couldn't interpret what his father was thinking.

"I think we should go first," Ron said of himself, Ginny, and Hermione. "I don't want my mum to have a heart attack right away, and I don't know how they might react to seeing you come in, especially you Harry, they might think it's a death eater or whatever…"

"What is a death eater again...?" Asked Saki

"The assholes who tried to kill us in the club," Harry replied casually.

"Oh right."

She didn't seem to understand how they could confuse these men with Harry, but refrained from asking any further questions.

"Okay, let's go."

Ron took Hermione's hand and walked home, followed by Ginny and Luna. The rest of the group brought up the rear but stayed quite far away, walking slower and more hesitantly.

"Actually, I should go" Draco whispered to Harry as he stopped walking. Harry turned back to him, his hand still in his.

"Don't go, please..."

"But I…"

"Please, just stay a little"

He begged Draco with a look, clenching his hand between trembling, anxious fingers. The blond young man longingly stared at him and pursed his lips.

"Okay… just for you then."

"Thank you"

He approached Draco and gave him a long-lasting kiss that would probably be their last for a while.

Harry's heart was pounding against his chest. Every stride he took gave him the weird sensation that he was about to pass out. Luckily, Draco and his father were by his side and gave him courage. They arrived at the kitchen door, where they waited for Ron to enter first. The young man took a deep breath, then, after looking at Harry one last time as if to get his final agreement, he opened the old wooden door and entered his house, followed by Hermione, Ginny, and then Luna, who remained on the threshold. Molly Weasley was seated at the table, a bucket of potatoes being peeled with magic to her right, as she leafed through a large cookbook. She looked up at the sound of the door creaking to reveal her two children. She stood up abruptly, dropping her book heavily on the table, and rushed over to hug them.

"Ronald, Ginny, you're finally home! Where have you been all these times? You were supposed to go for a week or two!" She squeezed them so tightly they almost choked, then proceeded to do the same to Hermione, then to Luna, even though she refrained from crushing the bones of the girl she knew a little less.

"Sorry mom, we had some… things to do."

Mrs. Weasley turned to her son in bewilderment.

"How come you had things to do? And why did you get home together, Ginny? Weren't you supposed to go practice for quidditch?"

She did not give them time to answer, as she was already speaking again, agitated and visibly excited by the return of her children:

"I'm so relieved you're all back. Dad is in the garage, I'll go fetch him and you better tell us everything!"

"Actually, mom," Ron cut her before she got the chance to head to the door where Luna was standing. "They're people waiting for you outside."

Mrs. Weasley frowned at this statement, her eyes still looking suspiciously at her son.

"What are you talking about, what people?"

She noticed Ron's sideways glance at Hermione and Ginny, which prompted her to come out of her house to find out for herself what he was talking about. Luna let her pass, and when she walked through the doorway, she came face-to-face with a small group of strangers staring at her. She saw a young Asian woman with a particularly startling look, a man of about her age, very elegant and sporting a perfectly groomed mustache, then a young man with long black and slightly curly hair, accompanied by another young man with shorter hair and almost perfectly opposite in color, being platinum blonde, the same blonde that was Malfoy's hallmark. She eventually recognized Draco, the young Malfoy who had changed so much since the last time. What was he doing there, in his garden, standing with strangers? She refocused on the others, her gaze sliding back to the dark-haired young man. She took a few steps closer to him, as if to see him more clearly. He was quite thin and elegant in his posture. His features were fine, his hair was familiar; then his eyes, intense green, luminous and captivating eyes that she could never forget.

"Harry…"

Her voice was so low that she seemed to be talking only to herself. She couldn't believe her eyes, it was impossible. She had only just begun to accept that he would never come back. She had just resigned herself to mourning, and then he was there, standing in front of her, in flesh and blood, and looking healthier than ever. She shook her head, unable to realize what was happening. She felt dizzy and weak as if the ground beneath her was shaking and threatening to collapse. He smiled at her shyly, the same smile as before, the one she had been used to seeing every summer since he was twelve, that smile that always made her heart melt, that gave her more than a strong desire to be there for him, forever.

"No, it's impossible..." She whispered, shaking her head.

She took a few more steps closer, but this time more trembling, frailer, and with each step closer to him, his face became more familiar, more him. He had changed so much, and so little at the same time.

"Oh Merlin, Harry... Is that you…?" She asked in a high-pitched voice that held back her tears.

He nodded, his eyes locked on hers.

"Hello Mrs. Weasley"

His voice was the confirmation he was real. She collapsed in his arms as if the ground had finally crumbled. She clung to his neck and shed all the tears she had tried to contain during his horrible funeral, which had been held by the ministry, filled with false and hypocritical speeches, and disrespect hidden behind stories blended with fake sadness.

"Oh, Harry!"

She hugged him like a mother hugs her child, with all the strength she could give him, all the love and protection she had always tried to give to each of her children.

"You're alive…"

She still couldn't realize what was happening. Even if he was in his arms, even if she was hugging him, she couldn't face the facts. So she started repeating his name over and over, crying louder each time.

(***)

Arthur Weasley had been working for five months now on the motorcycle that had once belonged to Sirius Black. He had restrained himself from starting the renovation somehow after Harry's disappearance, holding on to the hope that the boy would one day return and be able to help him. He knew that it would be important for him to participate, and he had not wanted to take away this opportunity to reconnect with the memory of his godfather. Unfortunately, the days passed, then the weeks, then the months, and finally the years. Harry did not return, and he eventually concluded that he would have to renovate it without him. Of course, Arthur Weasley always worked according to the rules of art and had therefore tackled this piece with the Muggle method. He had just finished painting the right side of the bodywork when he heard noises outside. It wasn't a usual noise; it wasn't the chickens clucking, or his wife calling him, and none of his children were supposed to come to visit them this Saturday. So he put down his brush to replace it with his wand and headed for the garage door, where he came out. He saw in the distance a group of strangers in front of the kitchen entrance, then his wife, Molly, who appeared through the door, followed by familiar faces, including his children. Arthur set off, with a sustained gait, towards the crowd, his gaze still focused on the people back to him, whom he did not seem to recognize. He finally arrived just close enough to hear their voices more clearly, and he understood the word "Harry" coming out of the mouth of his beloved before she collapsed in the arms of a young man.

Harry felt like he was losing all his composure, that his conscience had slipped away from his heart and made him lose all control. He hugged Mrs. Weasley as hard as she did, his shoulders shaking as the tears once again escaped his eyes. He had cried so much in the past few days, that he felt constantly exhausted, in a daze where he had become used to bursting into tears at any second, as if this state had become normal for him. He buried his wet face in Mrs. Weasley's shoulder, in her hair, and in her dress that smelled like home. He didn't want to let her go. He didn't know if he would be able to.

"I'm sorry, I'm so sorry, Mrs. Weasley," he sobbed, his voice muffled in the small woman's shoulder, who patted his back while crying as well.

"Don't be sorry, Harry dear, don't be sorry."

But he kept apologizing over and over until she let him. She understood that he wasn't listening, that there was no point in reasoning with him. He needed to apologize. He needed to express everything that was weighing on his heart.

"It's okay Harry It's okay"

She took his tear-drenched face in her hands and looked at him for a long time while wiping his cheeks with her thumbs. He ended up looking up and meeting her gaze, which she held, accompanied by a kind smile, a smile of pure happiness mixed with relief.

"You have changed so much," She told him, "you are so beautiful, so radiant."

He smiled back, but it was mostly from embarrassment. He still didn't know how to take a compliment, but Mrs. Weasley didn't mind.

Arthur moved closer until his wife and the rest of the group noticed his presence. Molly let go of Harry's face and rushed over to grab his hand and pull him towards them.

"Arthur! It's Harry! They came back with Harry!"

He stopped in front of the young man, and under the smiles of his children, he scrutinized his face, as if Molly might have spoken of another Harry. But there he was, Harry Potter, with the same green eyes, the same scar, the same nose, the same mouth, there was no doubt.

"Harry, my boy" He whispered, before taking him in his arms.

Molly wiped away her tears as she watched them, but new ones were constantly forming to replace the ones she pulled back, in an endless circle. Actually, they weren't the only ones crying. Everyone was sobbing at this moving reunion. Mr. Weasley finally let go of Harry and patted him gently on the cheek.

"I can't believe it, it's a miracle."

"I'm sorry to have made you wait so long..."

"The main thing is that you came back, son. The door is always open for you, you know that"

Harry nodded, and the man walked over to his children to hug them as well. Mrs. Weasley came back to her senses and then remembered the presence of the other people behind Harry, who had not yet said a word. Harry seemed to notice her gaze and hurriedly introduced his family, holding out his hand for Saki and Gary to come closer to him.

"This is Saki, my best friend, and in a way, my sister."

The young girl waved at them, visibly much more shy than usual.

"And this is Gary, my father."

Gary glanced at Harry with a slightly surprised look. He hadn't expected him to introduce him so naturally and simply, without adding any detail, without saying "adoptive" before father, especially since he had regained his memory. He was sincerely touched by this. He had never in his life imagined how much he would cherish being called father.

Mr. and Mrs. Weasley were also surprised. They tried to hide it somehow, but it was relatively easy to guess the incomprehension in their eyes.

"I think we have a lot to talk about," concluded Mrs. Weasley, "very happy to meet you. Come in, it's freezing cold outside."

She pointed to the door and invited her guests to enter. Ginny motioned for Saki, who looked confused and intimidated, to join her, while Gary was grabbed by Arthur before he even walked through the door. Harry started to follow the group when he felt Draco's absence by his side. He then turned around and saw the young man behind him, looking hesitant.

"Aren't you coming?"

Draco shook his head "I think I'll go, I'll go see my mother."

Molly, Ron, and Hermione, who had been waiting for Harry to enter, moved closer to the young couple.

"Hello, Draco," the Weasley mom said.

The young man froze. His gaze met Ron's, then his mother, whom he had insulted so many times during their years at Hogwarts. He felt bad standing in front of her in her garden. He didn't even know how to react or respond naturally to this simple greeting. He nodded to the small woman shyly before focusing on Harry's eyes, his only landmark. Harry stared back at him as if trying to figure out what was going on in his brain before he eventually turned to Molly:

"Draco came to New York with the others. He was the one who found me in the first place." he announced.

Molly seemed surprised by this information, but Ron and Hermione confirmed Harry's statement, which further embarrassed Draco, who was trying in vain to disappear behind his boyfriend. He was staring at the floor like an ashamed child, which prevented him from anticipating the sudden hug Mrs. Weasley gave him. He had never imagined receiving a gesture of affection from the Weasley family, just as he had never imagined missing Harry's lips one day. And it was a sensation he would never forget: the sensation of being part of a loving family for a split second, of living in peace rather than fear.

"Thank you, Draco, for bringing him back," she said, patting the back of his head. He no longer knew where to stand, or how to react without appearing awkward. So he reciprocated as best he could, patting the mother on the back as well, all the while avoiding eye contact with Ron.

"You are welcome to join us too!" She added when she released him.

"Thanks...but I'm going to go home, go see my mother." He said again, timidly.

"Oh, yes, of course, I understand, I hope she is well. You can come back whenever you want; the door is open!"

Draco thanked her before she headed back to the kitchen, followed by Ron and Hermione, who both felt the young couple wanted some privacy before parting ways.

"You will come back?" Harry asked, looking at a random blade of grass. Draco took a moment to respond, still unsure of what he intended to do. Spending time at the Weasleys made him uncomfortable, he didn't think he deserved to be there. But at the same time, he didn't want to be separated from Harry for too long, especially now that their future together was more than uncertain in the wizarding world. He checked that no one was watching them through the window, and took the hand of the young Gryffindor who looked up at him.

"I'll be back, tomorrow I think."

"Promised?"

"Promised."

He placed a kiss on his cheek and walked away from the garden so he could apparate.

"Be careful!" Harry said, behind him.

He waved his hand in the affirmative without looking back and continued on his way toward the river.

"I love you!" Harry added a little louder.

He stopped short, then turned to him with wide eyes. His attention shifted stealthily to the kitchen window, but there seemed to be no one inside. He then trotted towards Harry and, in a few steps, found himself once again in front of him.

"Someone could hear you!"

"And?"

Draco didn't know what to say. He gazed at Harry for a long time, his defiant and playful eyes driving him crazy, making him want to devour him, kiss every inch of his skin, and make love to him here and now.

He looked at the house one last time, then leaned over to kiss him, but this time on the mouth.

"I love you too."

"See you tomorrow then."

Draco kissed him again, again and again, until he really had to leave.

"See you tomorrow."

(***)

The burrow smelled good, that smell of food, of wood, of carpets, a smell that crossed his nostrils and instantly triggered new memories that had remained buried until now. He stood at the entrance to the living room, where everyone had gathered, and closed his eyes for a moment to focus on his memories. When he opened them again, it was to see the most important people in his life reunited, his father chatting with Mr. and Mrs. Weasley and Hermione, while Ginny and Luna showed different magical objects to an astonished Saki, who could not believe her eyes. Then there was Ron, who was approaching him with two bottles of butterbeer in his hands. His best friend handed him one, which he took with a grin, and they both drank after toasting.

"Glad to see you back," Ron said, "I missed you. It was different here without you."

Harry looked at him and took another sip of his beer, which tasted exactly as he remembered.

"I'm glad too, it's been a long time."

Mrs. Weasley was over the moon, and her energy oozed over everyone. She hastened to inform all the members of the family to come as soon as they could, without explaining the reason, as they were afraid her message could fall on the wrong ears. Harry expected to see them arrive for dinner, but their mother's message worried the Weasley children, who did not hesitate to leave their occupation in the middle of the afternoon to regroup at the burrow. Bill arrived first, more worried than ever, until he came face-to-face with Ron, whom he hugged instantly. He had been afraid that something had happened during their secret journey, and since he was aware of part of the story, he was terrified of being partly responsible for a new family drama. He hugged Ginny and Hermione, who had grown closer to him, and thanked God they were all safe. Then he saw Harry standing behind them, along with people he didn't know. He had a hard time recognizing him, certainly because he hadn't expected to see him again one day, but also because Harry had changed; no one could deny that. His first instinct was to believe in an impostor, a trap, which prevented him from approaching the young man and being as smiley as his mother. But he quickly understood that it was not possible, that it had to be him. His siblings would never have brought a death eater home without checking first.

"So that was it, your mission? Bringing back Harry?" He asked Ron, who nodded.

Then, he finally walked up to Harry, a Harry older than he remembered, taller, and more assertive, and he hugged him.

"Welcome back, Harry. We missed you."

"Thank you, Bill" Harry whispered, thrilled but anxious to see all these familiar faces again.

George arrived soon after, also visibly worried by his mother's message, since he had sensed from the start that his siblings weren't just going on vacation. But if anyone was truly scared the moment George walked through the door, it was Harry. He still had that guilt inside him, and coming back again when he was thought to be dead for the second time only made his feelings worse. But when George spotted him in the middle of the living room, he smiled, as if deep down he had already guessed that Ron and Hermione would bring him back one day. He opened his arms to Harry and said,

"It's been a long time, little brother."

Harry didn't move at first. He looked at George with bated breath, as if one move on his part would change the young Weasley's mind. But George did not seem annoyed or upset to see him alive as he had imagined. He kept his arms open and insisted:

"Come on, I'm not planning on staying like this forever."

Harry chuckled and finally moved forward to accept his embrace, under the wet and happy gazes of their loved ones.

"You are no longer the skeletal little bespectacled. How am I going to be able to make fun of you now?" Georges sighed while gently pinching his skin as if to measure his fat level, which was still not very present but remained more acceptable than two years ago.

"You'll still find a way, don't worry"

(***)

As Harry expected, everyone asked a lot of questions. About what had happened to him, about who Saki was, who Gary was, and why they had never heard back. Ron, Hermione, and Ginny were also inundated with questions, while Luna managed to slip away to go home and see her father. Summarizing two long and intense years was a particularly difficult exercise for Harry. He didn't really know how to go about it, where to start, especially when he still couldn't remember why he had landed in an alleyway in Nara with no memory. So he described his encounter with Saki, his first weeks in Japan, how he met Gary, his adoption, his new life in New York, his work, and his friends, in broad strokes. He was cut off several times by a crying Mrs. Weasley, who was constantly standing up to kiss Gary and Saki and thank them a thousand times for what they had done for Harry, or to kiss Harry and thank him for having survived and being back. His friends then told their version, how Draco had discovered a picture of Harry, their departure, their reunion, the fact that they spent weeks with a Harry who did not know them. They eventually shared the attack at the club. When the Weasleys learned that the last two escaped Death Eaters had managed to track them down and attack them, the mood in the living room changed drastically. Bill and Arthur were fuming, while Mrs. Weasley and George were shocked. Hermione recounted how Gary had arrived and saved them all, which earned him another hug from Mrs. Weasley.

"What made you regain your memory, Harry?" George then asked after they finished explaining everything.

The young man took the time to reflect. What exactly happened when he found his first real memories? Then he met his father's gaze and remembered.

"It started with dreams. I had always had them since my memory loss, but they were more and more frequent when I met them," he explained, pointing at his friends, "but these dreams were vague, just places, sensations, smells, sometimes faces, but not really a precise memory."

He then remembered his nightmare after meeting Luna, Draco's dark glare in the hallway; then Ginny, and a red-haired woman who was none other than his mother, covered in blood; then the forest. His feelings of being observed, pursued, and finally smothered.

"Harry?"

He looked up at Mr. Weasley's call and noticed that everyone was watching him.

"Hum, sorry" He came to his senses and continued, without mentioning this dream, which was still too disturbing for him "Then the night of the attack, I had a kind of moment of absence, where images came back...Real memories"

"Was it because of the death eaters?" Hermione asked.

He looked at his father again and took a deep breath.

"No, I think it was you," he said, his eyes fixed on the older man. "When you protected Saki and me, I had a flashback."

Gary remained silent. He didn't take his eyes off his son.

"Sirius…?" Hermione asked shyly.

Harry nodded slowly.

"Sirius was your godfather, right?" Saki asked who was trying to follow everything.

Harry nodded a second time, still silent.

"I think my memories were going to come back eventually, I had more and more strange feelings, of deja vu, but I think that was the triggering moment."

Everyone expected Molly to hug Gary again, even him, who glanced quickly in her direction, but she held back. She just wiped away her tears and squeezed her husband's hand, who was sitting next to her on the couch.

The day passed quickly. Everyone seemed to want to be in the same room as Harry, telling him stories, news, or simply being with him. Saki was flabbergasted by everything around her, which made George and Ginny laugh a lot. They kept showing her new things, especially from Weasley's Wizard Wheezes. Harry loved watching her happy, laughing out loud, and trying everything she was given, even if half of it didn't work with her magicless hands. She was proof that their two worlds could live together and learn from each other.

Arthur didn't wait long before showing Harry and Gary the motorcycle he was working on in the garage. He was so proud to show it to Harry, to see his reaction, and he hoped the boy would even want to drive it as well one day. Gary was happy to give him advice, having also been a biker in his youth and more particularly in the Muggle world. Harry watched them converse with passion and wanted to freeze time, to live in this reality so peaceful and happy forever, with the people he loved most in the world. But deep down, he didn't yet know how his future was going to unfold. He still had too many uncertainties inside him and things that felt incomplete to him yet.

(***)

Less worried than his brothers, as he had never suspected anything other than the excuses Ron and Ginny had given, Percy arrived later. Harry also ended up agreeing that Mrs. Weasley could inform a few people outside the family of his return, on the condition that they never divulge it to anyone until Harry wanted to. Thus, as the evening progressed, McGonagall, Neville, and Hagrid came by. When the half-giant saw Harry, he cried so loudly that the walls practically trembled. He hugged the young man with the same intensity as his tears, forcing Minerva to intervene before Harry died of suffocation. Neville was also moved to see Harry again; he couldn't help telling him about his fascinating career and his latest discoveries, with the same enthusiasm as Luna for his passion. Saki listened to everything. She drank in everyone's words like a child being told fairy tales. She also couldn't help but stare at Hagrid, shocked at his size but also happy to finally put a physique on the person Harry had told her such nice things about. To Harry's surprise, McGonagall shared some tears as well and told him she would be delighted to have a chat with him in private one day. Then, the last person to arrive after the guests had each gone home, was Fleur, accompanied by Bill, who had returned home in the afternoon, with their daughter and another baby, slightly older with vivid blue hair. Fleur, who had obviously been made aware of Harry's return by her husband, hugged him tightly but spared him all the questions he had already had to answer over and over again, preferring instead to introduce him to her children;

"Here is Victoire, our daughter! I think I announced my pregnancy on your birthday, remember?"

Mrs. Weasley cringed at the question. Harry's birthday also marked the day of his sudden departure. Harry actually didn't remember any of the discussion from that day, and never thought he'd remember, given the state he was in after the war. Fleur didn't seem to notice her mistake and continued talking about her daughter, who was a lovely baby, it had to be admitted, and who Harry was sure would inherit her mother's beauty when she grew up. However, his attention was mostly on the older child in Bill's arms, whose face looked familiar to him. Bill noticed his gaze fixed on the child and approached him.

"Harry, this is Teddy, your godson."

The world so perfect that had been built that day around him collapsed instantly. He observed the son of Lupin and Tonks, who had buried his face in Bill's arms, too shy to interact with his godfather, who in reality was nothing more than a stranger to him.

Harry didn't answer. What could he say? He felt empty, ashamed, and small.

"After you left, Andromeda's condition worsened. She was increasingly tired and had difficulty caring for a baby on her own. He spent many days with us, and we ended up proposing to Andromeda to adopt him, so that he would grow up with brothers and sisters, and surely one day, cousins." Bill cast an amused look at his siblings, making Ron and Hermione blush, who felt directly targeted.

"Andromeda was delighted and relieved by our offer. She takes him for a week from time to time and regularly on weekends. She went to rest in France for a few weeks. Perhaps you could see her when she comes back. She would be happy to see you again!"

Harry still didn't answer. He was frozen in place, staring at the child he had cowardly abandoned. Bill and Fleur seemed to understand what he was thinking, and the father hastened to add:

"Teddy knows who you are, Harry. We have always spoken of you as his godfather. We also regularly show him pictures of you, and tell him stories and anecdotes so that he gets to know you." He explained. "But it must be said that you have changed a lot compared to the photos that we showed him, but he will get used to it again. Don't worry. Eh, Teddy, look, it's Harry!" He added, speaking directly to the child who still dared not look at his godfather, preferring to turn his head the other way, towards his mother.

"Excuse me, I.. I need some air." Harry muttered, taking a few steps back before rushing for the kitchen door, fast enough that no one could hold him back. Several people started to follow him, but Gary took the lead.

"I'll go, let me do it." He said, getting up from the couch. He took his jacket in passing and headed for the kitchen, through which his son had just passed.

"Gary is the best at reasoning with Harry, he knows exactly what to say," Saki reassured the Weasley family and Hermione, who all looked worried at his sudden reaction.

It was particularly cold outside, but Harry didn't care. He needed air. He felt suffocated as if a force was crushing his rib cage against his lungs. He trudged out of the house, eventually sitting down on the damp grass. His pants and hands instantly absorbed the tiny drops, refreshing his mind and calming him slightly. He didn't remember Teddy, he had forgotten that he had a godson, Lupin and Tonks' child, an orphan like him. He heard the kitchen door open behind him and someone walking towards him. But he didn't want to talk; he was too ashamed, ashamed of not having fulfilled his role as a godfather, ashamed of having abandoned him and Andromeda. The person sat down next to him, but Harry had closed his eyes, burying his head in his arms. A hand gently started to rub his back, in small clockwise circles, like his father always did during his panic attacks. He did not raise his head, and let himself be lulled by this hand, which had already calmed him so many times.

"Harry," Gary's voice broke through the silence. "Harry, it's not your fault."

Harry sniffled and eventually straightened up, staring at the darkness of the nightscape ahead of him.

"How could I leave when he needed me? How could I be so selfish?"

"I don't think selfish is the right term, Harry. I don't think selfish is an appropriate adjective to describe you in general. I would rather say that you did what you could to save yourself. It's not just about the rest of the world, you know, it's about you too. You did what you could to survive, and you succeeded. And no one, absolutely no one, can ever blame you for that. You were eighteen, you were a child, and you needed help."

Harry slowly took in what his father was telling him. He knew he was too hard on himself, and the experience had made him realize that his father was always right and that he had to learn to listen to him.

"You know…" Harry said, after a few minutes of thinking, "I think deep down I blamed my godfather for not being there. I know very well why he was not, I also know that it was not his fault and that he suffered enormously, but a part of me continued to resent him because I knew that our lives would have been so different if I had grown up with him and not the Dursleys. I craved this alternative life so strongly, so intensely, that I ended up blaming him that it didn't happen that way... and then he died, and I blamed the entire world."

Gary listened intently, his heart bruised by his son's difficult confession. His life had been so unfair, from the start, how could he even comfort him?

"I don't want to make that mistake for Teddy... I don't want him to blame me for not being there. I feel ashamed, I feel like I have disappointed and hurt so many people…"

"Harry. Your departure has hurt people, that's for sure. But you have to understand that this does not mean they are angry with you, or that what you have done is wrong. The people who have suffered from your absence have suffered because they love you and care about you. And as for Teddy, he's still very young, it's not too late for you to come into his life. And you have to reassure yourself of one thing, he was adopted by loving parents, who are good with him. He will never grow up in misfortune or lack of love."

He sighed and took his son in his arms.

"It's never too late, Harry, it's never too late to be a parent, and never too late to be a son."

The wind whistled through the trees and crawled between the twigs and into their legs. Harry snuggled into Gary's arms and closed his eyes, listening to the song of the wind melting with the beating of his heart.

"Thank you, dad."

"Always, son, always."

The warmth of their bodies pressed together as the only shield against the icy wind as they sat on that cold, damp night, watching the few stars trying to shine through the thick clouds. With his head on his father's shoulder, Harry wondered how his future would take shape, how he could reconcile his two countries, his two families without missing either, how he could live without his father and his sister; and how he could live without those who helped him grow. He hoped he didn't have to think about it now, he was too exhausted to rack his brains anymore.

"Come on, son, it's time to go inside," Gary said suddenly, startling Harry slightly and making him raise his head. "I believe Hermione wanted to announce something before dinner."