Chapter Seven

First meetings

Dumbledore sat behind his desk with his fingers steepled, peering at Harry from behind his half-moon spectacles. "There is no other way, Harry. I am truly sorry."

Anger was starting to rise in his chest and he didn't know how to contain it properly. "Can we get this over with?"

"Insolent, brat ..."

Snape didn't get the last part of his insult out for Harry was upon him and pushing him back against the wall with crushing force. Before he was able to land the first punch his left hand was stung by a hex. Harry swung around with hate in his eyes and his wand held high ... against Albus Dumbledore.

"We are on a rather tight schedule, Harry." He looked over at Snape clutching his side where a shelf had dug in. "Severus, remove yourself from my office until I call for you. Miss. Granger ..."

Hermione took her cue and pulled Harry in her arms to calm him before he did something he was going to regret. She had seen, once before, the cold and unfeeling look Harry was giving the headmaster and she tried to distract him from whatever dangerous thoughts that were in his mind. Her hand on his arm was the only thing that made him lower his wand.

He blinked a couple of times and looked down. "Hermione?"

"Oh, Harry, I'm so sorry."

He hugged her back wiping away at his own face. "It happened again, didn't it?" he whispered.

He felt her head nod against him.

Dumbledore interrupted. "You must leave within the minute. He is here."

McGonagall turned, shocked. "Who? Who is here?"

"Voldemort," Dumbledore hissed.

Hermione pulled back.

Dumbledore tapped his wand on the Annualis-Glass and whispered a few words. "I have set the date at October 29, 1981, Harry. You have two days to find Peter Pettigrew get him to reveal the location of your parent's home in Godric's Hollow and stop Voldemort. Do you understand?"

Harry nodded.

"The magic of the glass will return you here when your mission is complete. Good luck."

Harry grabbed his Firebolt and his bag. "What do we do?"

A loud crash was heard coming from downstairs.

"Just touch the glass. Hurry now."

They reached forward and each touched the glass at the same time. The rush of light during their third year, when they last used a time turner, was nothing compared to this. His head exploded into tiny dots of light and reformed over what felt like the course of a year, or possibly five seconds; he couldn't tell. For time had no meaning anymore as their consciousness' slipped mid-way through the trip.

When the sparkling in his head dissipated Harry blinked open his eyes and found himself flat on his back in the Headmaster's office with Albus Dumbledore's face hovering directly above his own.

Harry groaned. "It didn't work."

Hermione was already on her knees holding her own head. "Yes it did, Harry. Look around."

Dumbledore took a step back and surveyed the two newcomers. Harry took a better look at him. His beard was a touch shorter and his hair didn't quite make it halfway down his back.

"Professor Dumbledore?"

The headmaster's eyes squinted briefly. "Before we begin our introductions would you please tell be how you manage to Apparate within the grounds of Hogwarts?"

Hermione pulled herself up into a chair and moaned. "We didn't."

"Ah, well then that explains it."

Harry let go of his Firebolt and tried to sit up. Every muscle in his body ached and it didn't seem like they would pay much attention if told to move.

"Yes, I am Professor Dumbledore. And you are?"

"I'm Hermione Granger," she groaned. "Do you think Madame Pomfrey could bring us some Pepper-up Potion?"

Harry heard a light fluttering and wasn't surprised to see Fawkes sanding above him he sang a small chirp briefly and leaned over his mouth.

"'Lo Fawkes."

He closed his eyes and felt two drops hit the back of his throat.

"Fascinating," spoke Dumbledore.

Harry felt strength returning to his tired muscles and he was now able to sit up with minimal effort. Dumbledore stood back and watched as he tended to Hermione and made her more comfortable.

"We're not here to do any harm, Professor. I promise."

"Fawkes, Madam Pomfrey."

In a burst of flame Fawkes disappeared.

Harry reached into his cloak and withdrew the feather his Dumbledore had given him. "I was supposed to give this to you."

The headmaster took the feather and looked at it critically. "This is from my Phoenix."

Harry nodded. "I know, you gave it to me ... fifteen years from now."

Dumbledore suddenly became almost excited. "You've found it? The Annualis-Glass?"

Harry shook his head. "I don't know who found it, but in fifteen years you will have it. That's why were here. Voldemort is going to use it in two days."

At that, Madame Pomfrey opened the door. "Professor, Fawkes indicated that you needed two Pepper-up Potions immediately."

Another plume of fire and Fawkes was atop his perch again.

"Yes, thank you, Poppy. The potions are for my two guests."

Harry kept quiet until Hermione had taken at least half of hers and steam started billowing out of her ears. She sat up almost immediately. "I hate the taste of that. Can't you cut it with some type of flavor additive."

Harry laughed to himself and drank his own. Once they seemed to be restored to better health the conversation continued. Harry filled Dumbledore in on his need to find the Potters before Halloween night.

Dumbledore looked very serious. "There seems to be a flaw in your plan."

Hermione leaned forward.

"For you see, Lily and James Potter are not in hiding. It appears you have arrived a bit early, I'm afraid. We are now approaching the end of September."

Harry blinked and Hermione covered her mouth in shock and turned to him. "Harry, we can't get back."

Something seemed to click in Dumbledore's head at that moment. "Harry? That is ... What is your last name, if I may ask?"

Harry looked at Hermione. "Potter. My name is Harry Potter."

Dumbledore leaned back in his chair. "Well, that is very interesting." He paused. "And how is it ... no never mind I already know why my counterpart or any other adult has not accompanied you. Knowledge of the Annualis-Glass would be catastrophic, would it not."

Hermione nodded. "That's what you said."

Dumbledore's eyes slid to his scar. Harry lifted up his hair to give him a better look. "Voldemort gave me this on October 31, 1981, when he tried to kill me."

The headmaster's eyes turned crystal sharp. "Tried, you say?"

"The Killing Curse backfired on him and destroyed his body. He's been floating around for fourteen years in our time, until just recently," explained Harry.

Hermione took over. "Harry was kidnapped and well ... Voldemort's back, and he was on Hogwarts grounds when you ... rather the other you sent us here to stop him."

Harry tried one last thing to make Dumbledore realize that they were very real and had a very real need to set things right. "I'm in the Order."

The headmaster's eyes went wide. In the future, Harry would always mark the day that he finally shocked Dumbledore. "Pardon me?"

"The Order of the Phoenix. I was let in last month because of a Prophecy that you heard," Harry counted back, "well ... sometime two years ago from Trelawney."

Hermione got very interested. "What Prophecy ... you mean the prophecy from last year that got broke and you didn't hear? Harry, you told us you didn't hear."

"Dumbledore, told me that night, or that morning, whatever." He let his sorrow show on his face. "I didn't want you to worry."

"How did the Prophecy end Harry?" asked Dumbledore.

"This is the true test, isn't it?" Harry replied.

Hermione took his hand. "What test?"

He turned to her. "He's having a hard time believing us. Since he hasn't found the Annualis-Glass yet, it's still only legend."

She nodded. "I realize that. We still could be minions of Voldemort or something."

Harry agreed. "So he's asking me about the prophecy, because only three people heard it since that night. Professor Trelawney, who can't remember anything she sees, Professor Dumbledore here, and the snoop that was listening on their conversation at the Hogshead two years ago.

"That's how Voldemort found out about it. The eavesdropper was a Death Eater. What Voldemort didn't know was the ending of the Prophecy, because the barkeep tossed him out when he realized he was snooping."

Hermione turned to the headmaster. "So you are the only one who knows what was actually said."

Dumbledore nodded his head once. "Indeed."

Harry took a deep breath. "Voldemort was to mark me his equal that night." Harry lifted up his hair to show his scar. "It's either him or me. Neither of us can live until one of us dies."

"WHAT!" Hermione exploded.

"It's the end of the Prophecy. Well that and the date of mine and Neville's birth." He paused. "Something about July dieing or ..."

He didn't get to finish his sentence because of a hand slapping him across the face ... Hermione's to be more precise. She was out of her chair and through the office door in tears before Harry could stop her.

"Hermione." He looked back at Dumbledore. "Professor ..."

The headmaster nodded. "Go after her Harry. I have some thinking to do. About an hour's worth I anticipate."

Harry dropped his bag and took a hold of his Firebolt, dashed down the stairs out from the secret door, almost running into Professor McGonagall all in the span of about five seconds.


"Mr. Potter, running is not ... oh, you're not Potter."

He got a better look at her and she was decidedly younger than he remembered though her style of dress and hair had not changed in sixteen years. "Um ... Professor McGonagall, did you see Hermi ... a girl run out of here a moment ago?"

She studied him for a moment. "Down the hall."

Harry smiled. "I think Professor Dumbledore wants to talk to you." And with that he set off after his girlfriend.

In only a few moments he had dashed down the marble staircase and stuck his head in the Great Hall. House-Elves were scurrying around cleaning up after lunch and there was no sign of where she went.

"Where would she go?" he asked himself.

He turned in a circle almost in a panic and decided the grounds was the next place to check. He burst open the large wooden doors and looked around. Handfuls of students were milling about, under trees and everywhere in between the castle and the Quidditch pitch.

Harry mounted his broom and shot up into the air, knowing that he would stand a better chance of finding her. He never had any trouble locating her during a Quidditch match and was well used to looking for particular faces in a crowd of people. Not that he would call what was milling about the grounds a crowd, but still.

He looked around and couldn't pick her out of any of the students that were now looking up at him and pointing.

"If I were Hermione, where would I be?" he asked himself. He shrugged. "Probably the library ... but she'd be expecting that. So where would the be the last place she would go?"

He got an idea and zoomed off as fast as he could go to the Quidditch field. Within seconds he spotted a familiar figure sitting in the stand and swooped down for a closer look. To his reward he had guessed correctly.

A soft landing seconds later and he was walking up to his very distressed girlfriend.

"Hermione?"

She looked up. her eyes were puffy and red and her cheeks very wet with fresh tears. "Why didn't you tell me?"

Harry shrugged. "Well for the same reason as right now. I knew it would ..."

"I thought you said you loved me!" she interrupted.

It seemed so long ago when he had told her, but it was mere hours, not even a full day.

"I do," he muttered. "That's why ..."

She shot up and rushed to hold him tight. "I don't want you to face him, Harry. Not again. We just found each other. I don't want to lose you."

He didn't know what to say. If it was up to him then he would take her and they would go back to Hogwarts and live happily ever after, but he knew with what had happened in the last few years that it probably would never happen.

"Hey." He pulled back. "If you're with me I can do anything."

She stopped sobbing long enough to look up at him.

"And I've got my Firebolt and this nifty sword that Dumbledore gave me, plus we know what's going to happen, don't we?"

Hermione wiped her eyes with the heel of her hand and nodded.

"Voldemort has to pop up at my parents house at exactly the right time, and we know when that will be. We're a step ahead already. And with the Order of the Phoenix behind us, we can't lose."

His features changed from encouraging to almost grim. "I need you to help me, Hermione. We have to save my parents. We have to stop Voldemort, once and for all; right here, right now."

She looked at him with fear and determination.

"I can't let them die."

"What about your promise?" she asked softly.

Harry gripped his Firebolt tightly. "I'll make you a deal. We have a month. There's nothing we can do until then, right?"

She nodded.

"Then let's take the month. If we can't figure out a way to save them and destroy Voldemort, once and for all, then we do it the way it happened."

Her eyes moved to the side of his shoulder as if she saw someone behind him. Harry spun around to find about twenty students standing about fifty feet away.

Hermione wiped at her eyes. "You flew over here, didn't you?"

"Uh ... yeah."

"They've never seen a Firebolt, Harry."

He grinned weakly. "Oops."

One of them, a shaggy-hair girl, broke away from the crowd and approached them. "Hi, we couldn't help but notice ... that is ... well we've never seen a broom that could go as fast as yours."

Harry swallowed.

"Would you mind very much ... well ..."

Hermione stepped around and held her off. "He wasn't supposed to be flying it. His dad's a broom tester and Harry here nicked it from his workshop. It's purely experimental."

A good portion of the crown started to approach now that it looked like they could get a better look.

"Could we have a look then?" a older boy said hopefully.

"Absolutely not!" a voice interrupted.

Everyone looked up at the approaching Transfiguration teacher.

"Everyone back to whatever it was you were doing. Go on." McGonagall said in a huff. "And you two -- come with me. The headmaster would like a word."

Harry took Hermione's hand and muttered. "He told me he needed an hour to think. It's not been twenty minutes."

When they returned to the revolving stairs that led to the headmaster's office, McGonagall and Hermione were in front and stepping off as he heard a gasp from his girlfriend.

"Hermione, what ..."

But he never had the chance to finish his question before he saw what it was that had caught her attention and made her cover her mouth. Standing by Dumbledore's side was none other than a twenty-one year old James Potter.

Harry dropped his broom in shock. In a span of mere moments his heart was racing and his head was spinning. It took him a few seconds to remember to breathe.

"What sort of game is this, Professor," said James with a very confused look on his face. "Who is he?"

Dumbledore took his seat. "This, James, is your son."

James looked down at Dumbledore and back up at Harry, then Hermione, and threw back his head with a hardy laugh, so loud that Harry jumped in shock. It lasted for almost a full minute before he realized that nobody else was laughing with him and it slowed to a coughing halt.

"What?" he looked at Dumbledore again and saw the depth of his eyes. "You're serious?"

Hermione inched forward and pulled Harry along with her. "Look at him, Mr. Potter," she began. "You could be brothers."

She reached up and took Harry's glasses off. "Look at his eyes. Recognize them?"

James stepped forward, curiosity pulling him. He stared for a moment. "This ... this can't be. I left Lily with Harry only a moment ago. Floo'ed straight here when Dumbledore ... "

Hermione gave Harry back his glasses which broke him from his locked gaze.

Dumbledore brook the sudden silence. "Harry, can you tell us something that only he would know?"

Harry was about to tell Dumbledore that there wasn't anything, that both his parents were dead long before he even knew who they were when Hermione tugged on his cloak. He looked down and she mouthed the word, Patronus.

"My Patronus ..." he barked. "Um ... I mean ... " Harry shook his head. "You're a stag."

James recoiled as if he had just been slapped.

"Your Animagus form is a stag." Then he remembered that his father was an unregistered Animagus and looked over at Dumbledore.

He looked in the air immediately. "I believe Minerva and I have gone temporarily deaf."

Harry smiled and remembered he had said the same thing in Hagrid's hut years before.

He returned his gaze on his father. "And so are all the rest of the Marauders, except for Remus, because he's already a werewolf."

Harry thought for a moment and stuck his hand into the charmed pocket and pulled out a worn bit of parchment that he had placed in there long ago for safe keeping and handed it to James. his father unrolled it and Harry tapped it with his wand.

"I solemnly swear that I am up to no good."

The map of Hogwarts expanded to take up the parchment and there, in the headmaster's office were five tiny figures, two of which were labeled as James and Harry Potter.

"Filch confiscated this from Peter my seventh year," James whispered.

"And Fred and George Weasley will nick it from his office in about thirteen or fourteen more years. They gave it to me."

James backed up a step and collided with Dumbledore's desk, lost his balance and fell to the floor. Harry hurried forward and held out his hand. His father looked at it for a moment and held his own out as well for a pull upward. They stood there for a moment and he watched as his eyes slid sideways to Hermione. Harry looked over his shoulder at his girlfriend who was smiling brightly and covering, with her hands, all but her eyes which were steaming with tears of joy for Harry.

"Dad?"

James tracked back to the boy that stood before him. "Harry?"

He could no longer take the waiting and almost jumped on his father for a hug that was sixteen years in the making. He pulled him in, even though he knew James still had his doubts he didn't care for just this once, if no other, Harry Potter was going to find out what it felt like to hug his father.

James pulled back first, still trying to take in the revelation standing before him. "But how? Why? How?"

"The Annualis-Glass," said Harry.

James looked behind him at Dumbledore. "The what?"

"It is a time-turner of sorts, James. Your son has been sent from fifteen years in the future on a mission of great importance," explained Dumbledore.

Suddenly James was all business. "Mission?"

"I'm ... well Hermione and I are here to destroy Voldemort."

"You're what?" James responded. "Are you insane? You're much too young."

Hermione laughed.

"What's so funny?"

Hermione's smile hadn't faltered once. "We'll, Mr. Potter." She stepped up and took Harry's arm. "Harry, here, has faced Voldemort four times and won out each time."

That got everyone's attention. Dumbledore leaned forward, very interested. "How very intriguing." It seemed as if his temporary deafness had been cured.

Hermione nodded. "The first time was when he was only eleven years old."

"Eleven," cried McGonagall. "You must be joking."

Hermione shook her head proudly. "No, Professor. He saved the Philosopher's Stone from Voldemort and ..."

"Excuse me, Miss. Granger," Dumbledore interrupted. "Should you be telling us of future events?"

Hermione seemed taken aback. "Um ... yes, sir. You told us, or rather the you of our time told us specifically to forget all of the rules that are in place by the Ministry regarding time travel."

Dumbledore looked contented. "Well then, I suppose I had a good reason."

Hermione continued. "He also said to only interact with members of the Order of the Phoenix."

James looked somewhat annoyed. "Is there anything that you don't know about?"

Hermione nodded again. "Lots. But we do know where Voldemort will be on October 31, 1981. That's why we're here."

James' interest was peaked. "Not to seem indelicate, but why are you here?"

"Before you answer that, Harry, " said Dumbledore, "I would like you to answer another question first."

"Yes, sir." answered Harry.

"What is the status of your parents in your time."

His eyes widened as he swiveled his head up to meet his father's face. "Why, sir?"

Dumbledore's eyes narrowed slightly. "Because of yours and Miss. Granger's reaction upon seeing your father was one of ... how should I put this ... stunned shock?"

Harry looked down and set his hand on the armchair he was standing next to. Hermione's hand slid down his arms and came to rest in his own squeezing it softly. He looked at her and nodded as he sat abruptly.

Hermione looked back over to James. "Mr. Potter, the reason we know where Voldemort is on October 31 of next year is because that night ... Voldemort will come to your house in Godric's Hollow and attempt to kill Harry. You will try to hold him off long enough for your wife to get away with the baby, but it won't be enough."

She saw James' face go white.

"Lily Potter will sacrifice herself for Harry and in doing so cast a very ancient charm of protection around him that will cause Voldemort's Killing Curse to rebound back on himself, and end his reign for thirteen years."

James almost fell back a second time, but Dumbledore was faster and conjured a squashy armchair for him to fall onto. His mouth was working, but no noise was coming out for several moments. "Lily ..."

Harry took a deep breath. "We're here to change that, dad. I'm here to kill Voldemort once and for all."

James looked up at that. "How ... you're only ..."

Harry sat up straight. "My first year, Voldemort possessed a Hogwarts teacher and tried to kill me; I killed him instead, but his soul or spirit or whatever it was got away."

Hermione took his hand and smiled.

"My second year, Tom Riddle's diary turned up, again possessed by Voldemort's spirit. I followed him down into the Chamber of Secrets and killed the Basilisk he set upon me with this."

He reached into the charmed pocket of his cloak and pulled out the sword of Godric Gryffindor. Dumbledore's eyebrows raised and James looked on, more than shocked.

"In the process, I had gotten bitten and the tooth had broken off into my arm ... I used it to destroy the diary and Voldemort, once again."

He looked over at the Phoenix. "That's when I found out about Fawkes. He brought me the sorting hat that had the sword inside and healed me from the Basilisk poison."

He pulled up the sleeve of his once injured arm. A round scar stood where once a very large tooth had once penetrated.

"My fourth year, was the first time I dueled with Voldemort, face to face. He had kidnapped me when I had been injured by a giant spider, and used my blood to finish up his potion that would restore his body."

"Great Merlin!" exclaimed James.

Harry pulled out his wand. "Voldemort can't duel with me. The core of our wands contain Phoenix feathers given by Fawkes." He hefted the sword. "That's why I brought this."

Harry slid the sword back in his pocket and fell back to his chair. "Believe me when I say I will kill him." He looked down and back up. "He took you and mum away from me and made almost every day of my life a horror until I came to Hogwarts and met my friends."

"Miss. Granger said you face him four times." said Dumbledore.

Harry looked down and felt his eyes burn.

Hermione squeezed his hand once again and finished for him. "The scar Harry has, has given him a connection with Voldemort. He used it against Harry last June during O.W.L.'s. He lured Harry to the Department of Mysteries with the vision that Sirius was being tortured."

"Sirius? Black?" James asked.

Hermione nodded. "It was a trap and they were waiting for us. They wanted Harry to retrieve a Prophecy. The Order showed up in time to help, but Sirius was killed."

By this time James was leaning forward with his elbows on his knees and his hands covering his mouth in horror at what was happening and what will happen.

Harry gripped the arms of the chair until his knuckles turned white. His face was red with silent rage. "He will pay ... Bellatrix Lestrange will pay ... Malfoy, Crabbe, Goyle, Avery, Dolohov, Macnair, Rookwood, will all pay." The last part, Harry looked to his father's face. "Wormtail will pay."

"Peter?" James said in disbelief.

Harry nodded stiffly. "You and mum performed the Fidelius Charm on your home in Godric's Hollow, and made Wormtail your Secret Keeper. He is a Death Eater. That's how Voldemort knew where to find you. That's how we know where to find him. That's how I am going to kill him."

Dumbledore leaned forward to catch James' eye. "Where is Peter?"

James was still trying to take it all in. "I ... I don't know. We don't keep tabs on each other like that. You could try his apartment."

"I would suggest that we do not contact him at all until the charm is to be performed. The chance that you might reveal something to him regarding this information is too great," said Dumbledore. "In the mean time I would further suggest Harry and Miss. Granger stay out of sight from anybody but Order members."

James seemed to have snapped out of his introspection and nodded. "They'll stay with Lily and I, of course."

Dumbledore smiled under his silver beard. "Of course."

"Stay with ... you and mum?" Harry said, his mouth hung open. "Really?"

James stood up and straightened his back, a grin spreading across his face. "I think it's about time you met your mother, Harry." Then as an afterthought. "I fancy she'll have a bigger shock than when she found out you were a boy."

He shook his head in remembrance. "She had it in her head for six months that you were going to be a girl."

Harry and Hermione stood up and she said, "No offense, Mr. Potter, but I'm glad Harry's not a girl."

James looked down at their hands, together. "I think separate rooms for you two."

Hermione's face reddened in response.

He turned to the fireplace and took a pinch of Floo Powder. "You've used the Floo before?"

They nodded.

"Good. Our destination is 'The Hollow.'"

James stepped into the fireplace and was away in a flash of green flame.

"Harry, before you leave." Dumbledore reached into his desk drawer and withdrew a silver bracelet. "If you find yourself in need to go out in public, please wear this."

Harry took the gift. "What is it?"

"A bracelet of Befuddlement. When you wear it, whoever sees you will think nothing strange about your appearance, as if you belonged wherever it is you go. You look far too much like James for anyone to discount you being anything but a blood relative, and James has no brothers or cousins."

Harry placed it in his charmed pocket and smiled. "Thank you, sir." He turned around and held his hand out to the fireplace. "Ladies first."

Harry wheeled his arms as he shot out of the fireplace at the Hollow. No matter how many times he traveled by the Floo Network, he always had to get used to a new location all over again.

Hermione was brushing herself off and straitening her hair while James made his way out of the large living room, or den that they ended up in. When she saw the wondering look in his eye, Hermione stepped up to him, smoothed out his cloak and smiled brightly.

"He's gone to get your mum."

He looked to the side and set his broom and bag down near the fireplace, trying not to look nervous.

"What if she doesn't like me?" he asked.

"Have you gone completely mad. Did you hit your head or something in the Floo?" She mocked him by checking by checking for large bumps on his head. "She's your mother. Of course she'll love you, no matter how old you are."

"But ..."

Hermione pursed her lips. "Harry, shut up and listen to me."

She took his hand and led him to a large, very plush couch and sat him down beside her. "Trust me on this one thing without any questions. I'm a girl; I know about these things."

A good thirty minutes went by without a word or a parent showing up. Harry paced back and forth making himself a nervous wreck.

"Would you please sit down. Your father can't just spring her on you and you are making me very nervous as well."

He stopped his pacing and leaned against the fireplace. "I'm sorry. I ..."

He stopped in mid sentence because standing in the doorway was a familiar figure: one he had seen a million times, but only in pictures and a few times in a enchanted mirror. She was half a head shorter than her husband and her dark red hair sat around her shoulders, full and wavy.

Harry suddenly didn't know what to do with his hands. He started to cross his arms and then they went to his pockets. Her very green eyes were glassy and tinted red most probably from crying.

"H ... Harry?"

He didn't remember the snitch that he must have swallowed for it couldn't be any other thing that would create such a large lump in his throat that prevented him from speaking. Instead he only nodded quickly.

She crossed the room so very slowly as if her eyes were deceiving her. The closer she got the more nervous Harry became. All the worst fears he had come to imagine passed before his eyes. What if he wasn't good enough, or smart enough, or anything that might not make her like him? What if she just didn't like him?

Lily Potter couldn't be more than a foot away from him as she took in his entire form from the scuffed shoes to the unkempt hair that was so like his father's, but she finally came to a halt on the very green eyes that matched her own, softly smiled and rose up on the balls of her feet to take her son into her arms.

Harry froze for a moment and a shuttering breath escaped his lungs as if he finally received what he most desired in his entire life. His eyes squeeze shut and he took in as much as he could remember about what it felt like. He would never forget this moment above all others in his remaining years. He had, at last, come home.

Reluctantly he released her when she stepped back and cupped his face with her hand. "You look so much like your father."

Harry sniffed and removed his glasses to wipe at his eyes. When he put them back on he saw that she was still staring at him. He caught movement out of the corner of his eye and saw Hermione inching toward them.

"Mum, I want you to meet Hermione Granger."

Lily turned to the side and took in Hermione, critically. "You would be Harry's girlfriend?"

Hermione nodded. "Yes ma'am. It is a pleasure to meet you."

They shook hands and she looked back at her son. "You two must be thirsty and hungry. And James being as thoughtful as I think he has, hasn't offered you anything. It's been what, fifteen years since you've had something to drink. "

Harry smiled. "We ate lunch right before we left, but I could use something to get the taste of Pepper-up Potion out of my mouth."

Hermione nodded. "Yes, please."

Lily took Harry by the hand and led him down the hall with Hermione trailing, to the kitchen. This wasn't much like Grimmauld Place. Light was bursting through several windows along the wall. Everything was so clean and new looking . A table big enough to seat eight sat to the right of the room with a two tiered door, leading to what Harry could only assume was the backyard, was on the middle of the back wall and the very large kitchen was to the left.

"Have a seat. Do you have a preference; we have almost everything."

For the first time in his life Harry considered asking for Firewhisky to take the edge off his nerves, but thought better of it. "You wouldn't have any Butterbeer?"

She smiled and opened the pantry door, withdrawing two bottles and uncorked them on the way over to the table. Harry took a very long pull on his bottle, draining it halfway dry before he set it down in front of him.

His mother sat across from him still watching his every move. "Forgive me for staring. It's just ..."

Harry shook his head. "Don't worry, I'm used to it."

Her eyebrows furrowed. "What an odd thing to say."

Hermione made his excuses. "Harry is very famous in the wizarding world, Mrs. Potter. People tend to stare a lot, mostly at his scar."

"Scar?"

Harry pulled his hair from in front of his face to show the lightening bolt mark.

She frowned. "Is that where he ... where Voldemort ..."

Harry nodded. "But you saved me."

Her mouth turned to a grim smile. "And now you're here to save us?"