Author's Note: Yes, I do know that it's been a long time since I last updated. I shall spare you from all the excuses I've made up and get on with the story. *smirks* Anyway, lots of stuff will be revealed in this chapter. I don't know if you all will like it, but that's the way I planned the story to be. Enjoy! :P
athenakitty: The wizarding world probably wouldn't leave him alone. He's too much of a hero and they just want him back with them.
LMILL: Thanks for your nice and juicy review! Hopefully, this chapter will answer some of your questions!
insanechildfanfic: Thank you!
Ankalagon: *evil grin* Mwahahahahaha. Harry may or may not forgive his dear papa and mama, but he definitely won't forgive Dumbledore, for, ah, certain reasons.
Silver Fang 90: *smirks* I know you don't hate me. Don't ask me how I know it…I just do.
Indiangurl and Keronshara: James' wonderful behaviour is due to what Dumbledore did to him. *claps hand over mouth* Oops, I shouldn't have said that! Read on!
Draken Smythe: Harry was already a Magus then, it's just that he hid his powers and only unleashed them when he wanted too.
Jenine: Thanks!
John: Thank you for your review. I'll update, if you continue reviewing!
GEmemory: *whispers conspiratorially* Virus 31 was based on Sars, so there's probably no cure for it, but the patients will recover though.
Chapter 4
What else do you want from me?
Great Expectations
James' eyes widened in fear as he watched his son's crystal-clear hand slide effortlessly into his chest. He gasped. His body seemed to freeze – ice crept into his very soul. Then all turned black. James felt a cold rushing sensation. He was falling, falling into Harry's past.
*
He was sitting in a dark, dingy and cramped place. James looked around. How in the world did he get here? Before he could answer his own question, the door was flung open and bright light flooded the tiny area. "Boy! It's already eight o'clock in the morning! Where is our breakfast, hmm? Too high-and-mighty to do proper work, eh? Pity your freak friends won't be able to help you this time!" An enormous man with a bushy moustache barked. James recognized him immediately. The one and only Vernon Dursley.
"I'll send an owl to them!" James found himself saying. Then he understood. He was in Harry's soul and memory, experiencing his son's very emotions and feelings.
"And how are you going to do that if your precious creature is dead?" Dursley smirked. The last thing James saw was a big, meaty fist rushing towards his stomach. Then his torso exploded into fire and he blacked out.
Pain. It burned his soul.
James found himself waking up at the Hogwarts infirmary. He heard Dumbledore telling Harry that he was to stay at Hogwarts for the rest of the summer, while Ron, Hermione and the other Weasleys stayed at Grimmauld Place. He experienced the anger his son felt at being excluded, he experienced the guilt his son felt because of the deaths of Cedric and Sirius, he experienced the frustration his son felt at being locked up in an empty castle with no one, except Professors Binns and Trelawney for company, he experienced the irritation his son felt for being turned into a pawn in the giant chessboard of life.
Then the scene changed. He was in Harry's first year, when he first met Voldemort face-to-face, he was in his second year, when he was in the Chamber of Secrets together with Tom Riddle and the Basilisk, he was in his third year, when he witnessed his son hearing his parents 'die'. Little did Harry know that Dumbledore had placed a charm on him which planted the memory of his parents dying at the back of his mind. He was in Harry's fourth year, when he witnessed his son struggle throughout the Triwizard Tournament, and during the time when he was Portkeyed to the graveyard to meet the Dark Lord and his minions. The images of Cedric lying on the ground, dead, and Sirius falling through the veil kept repeating themselves.
He felt every single Cruciatus Curse his son was put under.
Pain. It filled every single fibre of his being, every single inch of his soul.
James witnessed and experienced, every single thing his son went through – death, guilt, anger, frustration, irritation, sadness, and pain. His being was overwhelmed by a myriad of these pent-up emotions. At the end, he saw a ball of pure, white light, tinged with red. And then, he felt himself being forced out and the icy feeling left his body He found himself back at the muggle hospital, panting heavily. Cold sweat covered his face. Harry stood before him, his face emotionless. Without a single word, he turned away and left.
*
"How are you feeling?" Harry asked Lily gently. He was back to being Dr Potter again. "Weak," she murmured. "That's expected." he said. Harry turned to his nurse. "Make sure she gets enough rest." Then he left to check on other patients.
"How is it going?" Dr Jason Morris, one of Harry's close friends, asked him as they bumped into each other.
"Bad, obviously. But the number of new cases is decreasing, though, so that's something, I guess." Harry said.
"I heard that your parents got infected. How are they coping?"
"Okay, I think. Just like the rest." Harry replied curtly.
"I'm sorry."
"Don't be. It was their fault." He proceeded to tell his colleague about what had happened.
"But still, you can't blame them, though. They didn't know." Dr Morris said, furrowing his eyebrows.
"They shouldn't have messed around here in the first place. Well, I guess there's nothing I can do about it. I've to take care of them – they're still my patients, after all." Harry shrugged.
"I thought they were dead…killed by Voldemort," Dr Morris said thoughtfully.
"They weren't. They were hiding all this while from him." Harry muttered curtly.
"Touchy subject?" his friend asked.
"Sure." he replied.
*
Dumbledore sat in his office, deep in thought. It was a big mistake to invite Lily and James back to the wizarding community in England. Many years ago, he had placed a charm on Lily and James' minds that created a memory which showed that they had left Harry on their own accord. The couple had, in fact, protested vehemently when he told them to leave for another place. He had wanted them out of the way so that he could manipulate Harry to defeat the Dark Lord. If Lily and James had stayed behind, they wouldn't have allowed Harry to take part in the war at such a tender, young age. The only people who knew about the fact that James and Lily were alive, was the Order of Phoenix. But they weren't told the whole truth, either. They only knew that Dumbledore had told them to leave to protect them from Voldemort. And even then, they were sworn to silence.
Every year Harry studied at Hogwarts, Dumbledore exposed him to danger, to prepare him for his final meeting with Voldemort. He had expected Harry to end it all in a spectacular fight, with little or no deaths. He had expected to stand beside Harry as he finished off the dark lord. He had expected to watch as the very last part of his plan fell into place. But he was greatly disappointed.
Dumbledore was fighting inside Hogwarts when Harry slipped out. Many others followed him on the way to death. Harry killed Voldemort without anyone watching. Everyone around him was dead. Dumbledore saw nothing at all. But that did not matter. His white pawn had checkmated the black king, and everything was over.
He had expected Harry to stay behind and get a decent job, maybe as a professional Quidditch player, an auror, or perhaps as a professor in the school. He had expected Harry to welcome his parents back with open arms. He had expected the three of them to live happily ever after. He had expected himself to die in peace, basking in the fact that he was the one who helped the wizarding world regain its glory, that he was the one that killed Grindelwald, and that he was the one who planned the defeat of Voldemort. He had expected everyone to hail him as the powerful, wise and kind old man who brought peace to the wizarding world, together with Harry Potter. He had great expectations for everything and everyone. But those were mere expectations. Nothing more. They were illusions. And illusions only brought along disappointment. It was a lesson he had learnt.
And now, he was still The Great Albus Dumbledore, Mighty and Powerful, Feared by the Dark. But what was the point of it all? What was the point of manipulating Harry? What was the point of forcing Lily and James to leave? What was the point of making use of the Order of Phoenix? In the end, he was still back to square one, just that this time, Voldie was dead. He didn't even get to witness the magic moment. He felt hardly any satisfaction. Only bitterness.
*
Harry sipped his coffee at the pantry. His mind floated to the time when he had channeled his memories and emotions into his father. He could sense a powerful spell hidden deep in the vaults of James' mind. He wondered what it was. Maybe his mother had it too.
He finished up his coffee and hurried to Lily's ward.
"Are you feeling better?" Harry asked. His mother nodded weakly.
"Close your eyes, please. I'm going to give you a full body scan." he said. Then he placed a hand on her forehead.
It was there. He could sense the power radiating from it. He reached towards it with his mind. It was a memory – twisted into a knot and planted in her mind. Harry frowned. Maybe he shouldn't meddle with it. Or should he? He gave it a tentative prod and was rewarded with a burst of magical energy. Harry winced. His curiosity always got the better of him. Perhaps he should just leave it alone. After all, it was none of his business.
Finally, Harry tugged at it with his mind. There was a sudden flash of light. Harry shivered, feeling as though he was falling into a Pensieve.
Author's Note: I'm working on the next chapter now…shall update as soon as possible, that is if you all REVIEW! Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed this chapter. All comments are greatly appreciated!