Disclaimer: J K Rowling owns the rights and likenesses of all the characters in the Harry Potter series. This story is meant to add to the world she created. Any conflicts are accidental and they yield to her reality (canon).
2. The Reunion
Once Samantha had gone to bed, Harry sat down to write his letter to Dumbledore. The words were not materializing very quickly. After an hour of thinking, writing, and disposing, Harry had finished the letter. He tried to coax Hedwig down from her perch above the stove.
"Hedwig," Harry implored her. "I need you to take this to Dumbledore." Hedwig looked down at him in the most indignant manner. "I know I haven't needed your service for many years, but this is important. The owl looked at him with a puzzled look about her face not knowing if he was serious or not. "Well, I guess if you aren't up to it, I will have to go into town and use one of the school birds. You have gotten along in age and it might be too long of a trip for…"
Hedwig flew down onto his shoulder and smacked him in the face with her wing. "Now, that is more like it girl," Harry said confidently. "Insulting your ability always works." Harry attached the letter to Hedwig's foot securely. The owl flew up to her cage, took a big drink of water, pecked at some food, and soared out the window Harry had opened. Harry called after her, "stay in England until I arrive, OK girl."
The night was dark and cold for July. No stars shone through the low-lying clouds that had been forming since sundown. Harry swept today's things into a cupboard before heading to bed himself. The next few days would be a trial in-and-of themselves. Packing up things that had not been touched for years. The memories might be more difficult to bear than he expected. No matter, the decision had been made. A little heart had wondrous ideas inside it waiting to spring out. It was too late to have second thoughts merely to save him from the past while he needed to move forward towards the future.
The morning of Saturday came, but not that anyone could tell. The clouds had only become thicker since Wednesday. There were rain showers off and on, but the sun was not visible. Samantha looked at her clock, it was only seven thirty in the morning, but she couldn't help what she felt. The anxiety of moving was almost too much for her to bear. She had finished packing her things yesterday, but she was holding off on putting away her pictures. The one of her mom holding her when she was born was the most precious of them all. The joy on her moving face was inescapable. She sighed, and loaded the pictures into her pack. She checked her locket one last time. The pictures of her mother and father were safely hidden inside. Only she could open the locket, a charm held it closed at all other times. Since it was her mother's charm that sealed it, only she could remove it. This occurring would be a welcome event, but Samantha knew that it wasn't going to happen.
"Honey, hurry up," Harry yelled up the stairs. "We need to make sure we have everything before we leave."
"Coming father," cried Samantha as she snapped the locket closed.
Inventory took all morning and right up to one o'clock. The crates were stacked as high as the ceiling three deep.
"I never knew we had this much junk," complained Harry. "It is a good thing I have a full bag of flu powder."
At precisely one thirty in the afternoon, the fireplace roared to life with green flames.
"That is the signal," Harry said. "This will take our stuff to a room at Hogwarts where it will be safe."
Harry threw a pinch of flu powder onto the flames before they died away. The fire roared alive again. Harry flicked his wand and yelled "Mobilarbus trunks." The trunks rose a few inches off the ground and slowly made their way into the fire. He looked like he was conducting an orchestra with the trunks playing the parts of the musicians. When the flames began to die down, another pinch of powder perked up the inferno.
"Dumbledore arranged a one way flu connection between our fireplace and Hogwarts," Harry explained to a slightly confused Samantha. After an hour and a half, the room was cleared of all their belongings. The house was empty. Darkness filled the vacant room. Harry looked around bidding his home one last farewell. Good memories of past days filled his mind. He fought back disturbing feelings and images, long hoped buried. Harry cast his gaze on his darling daughter. So brave a child he had ever known.
Samantha looked up at her father who was staring at the empty room. She had only memories of him in this house; her mother escaped her ability to recollect. She shifted, scanning the room for anything that might trigger a memory. Nothing came to her. A hand rested gently on her shoulder followed by a short squeeze.
"It is time my dear," spoke a solemn Harry. "We must go now."
"I am ready, father." Samantha was prepared to leave the only home she had known for the uncertainty of a new place.
Harry opened his traveling bag, dug around for a few seconds, and withdrew a small yard gnome. He handed it to Samantha. She looked at it without a clue what its purpose was to be. Harry then pulled out the invisibility cloak and exchanged it for the gnome in Samantha's hand. Harry looked at the gnome, concentrated, and spoke steadily "Portus." The ornament glowed a light blue, and then looked as it did before. Harry set the cement fixture on the floor and looked at Samantha.
"Put on the cloak and keep it wrapped tightly about you until I say otherwise. Do you understand?" Harry questioned.
"Yes, father. I understand," replied Samantha.
"Keep close by me and touch nothing. I need to judge their reaction before I introduce you," Harry hesitated. "Are you sure this is what you want, honey?"
"Yes, let's get it over with," said Samantha barely able to stand the anticipation.
"We will count to three, and then we must touch the gnome at the same time," Harry instructed.
"One, two, three!"
The whoosh of air passing by their ears was quite loud. The tug at their stomach was forceful, yet reassuring. The noise seemed never to end, and then they felt the ground. A softer landing than expected. The air was moist and hung about them. It was nearly nine at night where they landed. Harry spun the hands on his watch to match the time.
"Sam, are you close? Harry questioned the heavy air in front of himself.
"I am here, show me where to go," was the response from something unseen.
Harry walked forward, towards a house at the base of a hill. It appeared to be an orderly house one of strong construction and planning. This was not exactly what Harry expected, but as he thought, it made sense to him. The sun, or what was left of it, was gently nestled behind the hill. The smell of food was about the air. A grand meal was either being made or had been served recently. The hands on his watch were nearing nine and that was the arranged time. A crack could be heard within the house before them. Shadows moved about from behind the colored panes of glass that made up the windows, but nary a voice escaped the walls.
After a deep, long breath, Harry stepped forward. He rapped the door with the knocker, a proud, stately griffin. He checked his hood up to ensure that it was completely covering his face. The door opened slowly to reveal a living room that would do justice to the exterior. A long, missing face greeted him. The man bid him to enter with a sweeping motion of his arm. Harry took long enough to enter so that he was sure they both made it inside. The red haired man looked much the same he did when Harry last saw him. Aside from a little extra padding around the middle, Ron was exactly the same. Ron closed the door and led them into the kitchen where two other familiar faces waited his arrival. The kitchen was spotless and more organized than the rest of the house.
The woman standing behind the table looked inquisitively at Harry. Trying to figure out the scene, which was playing out in her very kitchen. Hermione looked as pretty as ever despite her face being screwed up deciphering this figure standing a mere few feet away. The last person in the room was sitting at the table, eating a chocolate frog. The long silvery beard piled in his lap quivering with every bite of the frog. Ron had joined his wife on the other side of the table, still looking for some answer to his many questions that this scenario had brought about.
Dumbledore looked right into Harry's shaded eyes and smiled. He looked to Harry's left and smiled again with a slight chuckle. Ron and Hermione looked at Dumbledore, then back to Harry not saying a word. Dumbledore reached for the glass of water in front of him and took a long drink washing down the last of the chocolate frog.
"So, are we to have an explanation for all this, Professor Dumbledore, or are we just," chirped Hermione.
Dumbledore raised his free hand cutting her off before she got into full swing. "I think these gracious people deserve an answer, do you not?"
Harry reached up and pulled the hood back revealing his mussed hair and lightning scar. The silence was deafening. Not even a choked breath escaped the best friends a person could have. Harry looked upon his comrades with sadness and hesitation. He didn't know what to expect after all these years.
Dumbledore smiled and viewed the spectacle as it played out. Hermione was the first to speak.
"Well," she thought. "It is about bloody time you came back. We have been worried sick." She stepped forward, her arms open searching for a hug long deserved. Harry, his heart nearly breaking from the tension, embraced her, as a friend should after such a long separation. Tears were welling up in both of their eyes. Hermione's were the ones to break free first running down her face.
After what seemed like hours, Harry eased his grasp and looked at Ron who stood where he had been, his mouth open. He appeared to have lost the will to speak. Harry stepped towards him with his hand out. Ron didn't move. Hermione cleared her throat causing Ron to regain control of his senses.
"I," he stammered. "I have missed you Harry." Ron hit Harry with a hug that felt like Hagrid was the one squeezing. Once Ron let go, Harry returned to the spot he started from.
Dumbledore was smiling so very brightly. A glimmer in his eyes betrayed his cheery façade. He rose from his chair; his beard fell into place just past his belt and hugged Harry. The firm grip didn't fit this elderly looking man.
"Harry, now that we have greeted each other, shall we discuss the reason behind your sudden return?" Dumbledore's question cut through the air like a sword.
Harry cleared his throat. The words he had planned for this evening seemed too far away to speak, lost in torrents of emotions. "I have returned, because it was long overdue," Harry started. Searching for words, he continued. "I have a favor to ask of you both." The looks he received were confused but steadfast at the same time. "I would like to introduce you to someone who means everything to me. More than the world, more than my own life." Harry turned to his left, nodding at the empty spot of floor to his left.
Samantha, having watched the situation unfold, slowly pulled off the cloak. Her long black hair flowed down her back. Her eyes shown in the well-lit kitchen like bright emeralds. She handed the cloak to her father and quietly stood still waiting for something to happen.
Hermione looked surprised for a second, but that quickly changed into an adoring smile very similar to the one Dumbledore had worn for the past few minutes. Ron was confused by this unknown girl standing in his house, next to his best friend in the whole world.
Harry began to speak, "Ron, Hermione, Professor Dumbledore, I would like to introduce you to Samantha Hermione Potter."
Hermione's eyes shot to Harry, a look of appreciation washed over her. She stepped forward to Samantha held out her hand and introduced herself. "Hello, Samantha, I am Hermione Weasley."
Samantha looked at Harry, who was fighting back tears of joy, and replied, "I am Samantha Potter. Pleased to meet you."
Hermione couldn't hold herself back and scooped Samantha up into a hug. Samantha found the embrace unexpected, but quite pleasant. Hermione looked at Harry with approving eyes and a sadden smile. When Samantha had been returned to earth, Ron introduced himself and shook her hand. He wasn't about to give in to womanly tendencies. Not in front of Dumbledore. Samantha found Ron to be agreeable, but not overly warm. About what she expected from the stories she had heard.
Dumbledore stepped forward from his chair. He bowed to Samantha and held out his long hand. "I am Professor Albus Dumbledore, Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. It is so nice to make your acquaintance after all these years." His gaze provided the most securing feeling Samantha had felt other than her father's of course. "You look just like your mother aside from the obvious qualities only your father could have given to you."
"Thank you very much, Professor," offered Samantha. She felt like her family had just quadrupled in size. She found herself feeling sleepy after such a long, stressful day.
"I believe Samantha needs to get some rest for the night," Harry interjected.
"I will call down Lily. Samantha can sleep in her room tonight if that is OK," Hermione informed them all.
"Is that acceptable, Samantha?" Harry asked, receiving a nod in reply.
Hermione walked to the steps leading upstairs and called Lily's name. Footsteps could be heard above them racing towards the stairwell. Then, feet pattered down the stairs to the landing near her mother. "Yes, mum," came a smallish voice once the red-haired, freckled girl had seen all the people in her kitchen. Her view lingered on Harry apparently trying to figure out the situation. Then she took notice of another girl about her age.
"Lily, would you show Samantha up to your room?" Hermione questioned with an air of direction in her voice.
"Yes, mum," answered Lily who bore a striking resemblance to Hermione only with red hair and freckles.
Samantha looked at Harry awaiting permission. Harry smiled and nodded wishing her a good night's sleep. Lily led Samantha upstairs and they began talking right away.
Harry was beside himself. He had missed so much although his daughter had missed out on far much more. Friends, family, all the things Harry couldn't give her in quantity. He was lost in his thoughts when he realized that Hermione was standing right in front of him. He swallowed hard knowing this discussion was going to take some time.