Chapter 13 Explanations
Harry shifted uncomfortably under everyone's gaze. "Look, I can't tell you guys anything! I've already screwed up the future too much."
"Actually Mr. Potter, I am thinking that perhaps you should come clean on everything," Professor Dumbledore said.
"What! I can't do that!"
"We are all already in need of a memory charm. It couldn't hurt to tell us anymore. But not here, let us go to my office first."
Everyone left the hospital wing and hurriedly made their way to Professor Dumbledore's office. As soon as they were all inside, Dumbledore said," Why don't you begin?"
"Ok please don't say anything until I'm done or I'll lose my nerve." Everyone nodded his or her consent and so Harry began. "Voldemort attacked my family when I was one. My parents were killed but Voldemort's killing curse rebounded off me and I survived. I was known as the boy who lived. I grew up with the Dursley's and had no idea about anything magical at all until I was about 11. I got my letter but they took it and destroyed it, as they did with the following ones. Eventually they ran for it, taking me with them. Hagrid came and found me. He explained everything to me and took me to Diagon Alley. He bought me an owl and I received my wand. It's core is a feather from Fawkes," here Harry paused and gave Dumbledore a knowing look. "The Dursley's drove me to King's cross later. I had no idea how to get on the platform. Then I met the Weasley's and they helped me. Ron, their son, became my best friend very quickly. I was sorted into Gryffindor. Ron and I ended up saving a girl Hermione from a troll and she joined our group. We're pretty much known as the golden trio of Gryffindor. Oh! I also made it onto the quidditch team as seeker as a first year." James and Sirius looked deeply impressed as that. "Let's see… what else happened. Oh yah, I was cursed and almost fell off of my broom. I also saved the Sorcerer's Stone from Voldemort who had been living off the back of one of my teacher's heads."
"So 2nd year, a house elf named Dobby came to warn me about something but couldn't say what. He tried to get me expelled and framed me for using magic. He dropped a bowl of pudding on Vernon's boss's wife's head. The Dursley's were very angry with me and locked me in my room. The Weasley's became concerned that I hadn't answered any of their letters and so Fred, George, and Ron snuck out, took their father's flying car, and got me. I spent the rest of the summer with them. When Ron and I tried to get on the train, we were locked out of the platform so we stole the flying car and flew to Hogwarts, which unfortunately we landed in the Whomping Willow. Umm… I lost all the bones in my arm and met some acromantulas. The Chamber of Secrets was opened and everyone thought that it was me, because I'm a parseltongue. People started getting petrified, including Hermione. It turned out to be Ginny, Ron's little sister, who Voldemort had been possessing. She almost died but I saved her and killed the basilisk, which was the monster petrifying people, using Gryffindor's sword."
"Summer before third year I ran away from the Dursley's because Vernon's sister was there and she was insulting my parents. I blew her up. I left on the knight bus and went to Diagon Alley. I stayed at the Leaky Cauldron until school started. I learned that Sirius Black had escaped from Azkaban and that he was after me." Everyone gasped at that. "Remus was the defense teacher. I learned how to cast a patronus because the dementors affected me so bad. It was Prongs by the way. I lost a quidditch match for the first time ever. I got in trouble for sneaking out to Hogsmeade. I wasn't allowed to go since the Dursley's never signed the permission slip. I went down to the shrieking shack through the secret passage with Hermione because a certain dog had dragged Ron in. I found out that Sirius was innocent and that Peter had framed him. In fact, Sirius was my godfather. Remus was there too. Snape almost ruined everything…He's potions professor by the way. We stunned him. Peter had been hiding out as Ron's pet rat and so he was there too. Unfortunately Remus transformed and he got away. Sirius saved us from him. He was caught and brought to the dementors. Hermione and I used a time turner and went back a couple of hours. We saved Sirius and he flew away on a hippogriff we had also saved. Oh! And Sirius signed my permission slip for Hogsmeade!"
"Fourth year was the quidditch world cup. Unfortunately old death eaters decided to harm some muggles. The triwizard tournament was there. It was changed and made safer. Only people of age could compete. Somehow I got entered and Cedric Diggory and I were both selected to be Hogwarts champions. Through out the year Rita Skeeter published slander about me, until we black mailed her into stopping. The first task was getting a golden egg from a dragon. Then there was a Yule Ball. Hermione went with Victor Krum, the Durmstrang champion and a professional quidditch player. Ron was insanely jealous but wouldn't admit it. The 2nd task was saving someone from the merpeople. They took Ron and Hermione. I ended up getting last place because I tried to save everyone. The third task was a maze. We had to get to the center and grab the cup. Cedric and I got there at the same time. We both grabbed the cup." Harry stopped for a moment as he chocked up. "It was a portkey. We landed in a graveyard. Cedric was murdered and I was tied up. It was Peter. He dropped an ugly looking baby into a cauldron. He did some ritual using bone of the father, his blood- he chopped off his hand, and my blood. He stabbed me. Anyway, Voldemort was resurrected. He called his deatheaters. He put the cruciatous curse on me. We dueled. He put the imperious curse on the cruciatous and me. Then we both cast a spell at the same time. Prior incantatum occurred. We have the same wand core. My wand forced his to regurgitate its last spells. I saw Cedric, an old man, Bertha, and then my parents. Cedric asked me to bring his body back and then the spirits distracted Voldemort so that I could run. I grabbed Cedric's body and the portkey. I made it back to Hogwarts. Mad-Eye Moody, who was the defense teacher, took me. It turns out he was an imposter, Barty Crouch Jr. He tried to kill me. Dumbledore, McGonagall, and Snape stopped him.
"Fifth year was the worst. I spent all summer without any knowledge of what Voldemort was doing. Dumbledore's name, as was mine, was being dragged in the dirt. No one believed Voldemort was back. Dementors attacked Dudley and me. I cast a patronus and got expelled. Dumbledore arranged it so that I at least got a trial. Soon after I was taken to headquarters, Sirius's house. I went to the ministry. I was tried full court. Dumbledore saved me and I got off. Ron and Hermione were made prefects. I went to school. Umbridge was the defense teacher sent there from the ministry. She tried to keep me quiet. She told me I was a liar. She gave me detention and made me use a blood quill. I had a vision of Nagini, Voldemort's snake, biting Mr. Weasley. It happened. Dumbledore smuggled the Weasley's and me out of Hogwarts. I started occulumency lessons with Snape, which he ended up refusing to teach me after I saw an embarrassing moment of his. I was also given a life-long ban on Quidditch for beating up Malfoy. Dumbledore was removed from the school. Oh, I forgot, the story of Voldemort's return was published in the Quibbler, so a few people started to believe me. Then during OWLS, I had a vision of Sirius by Voldemort at the ministry in the department of mysteries. I told my friends. I tried to contact Sirius to see if it was true. Kreacher told me that he was gone. Umbridge caught me and almost cast the cruciatous curse on me. Hermione made up a lie about a weapon in the forest. We led her to the centaurs and they took care of her. Ron, Hermione, Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood, Ginny, and I took thestrals to the ministry. We went to the department of mysteries, but Sirius wasn't there. I found an orb with my name on it. I picked it up. It was a trap. Deatheaters were waiting for us. We ran and dueled. They had almost won. I was the only one left who could duel properly. The Order came and saved us. One deatheater choked me but Neville saved me just as I was about to die. We dropped the ball. It was a prophecy. No one could hear it over all the fighting. The Order was losing. Sirius told me to leave. Then Dumbledore came. He got most of the deatheaters. Sirius was fighting Bellatrix. She hit him and he fell through the veil, where nothing can return. Remus held me back when I tried to go after him. I got away and chased her down. I put the cruciatous curse on her. It wouldn't work. Then Voldemort came. Dumbledore and he dueled. Then Voldemort possessed me. It hurt so much. I wanted to die and then I'd be with Sirius. Voldemort left with Bellatrix. Dumbledore told me the prophecy. I would fight Voldemort in the final battle. 'Neither can live while the other survives and either must die at the hand of the other.' I left for school for the summer.
I got my OWL results. Ginny and Mr. Weasley picked me up from the Dursley's. A few days later Ron and Hermione started going out. Then one night when only Ginny, Ron, Hermione, and I were at the Burrow there was an attack. Bellatrix Lestrange led it. I tried to take her on, but she got the better of me and began torturing me. The Order came and Remus stunned her when she was in mid-curse. Whatever she said flew at me and I disappeared, as Remus was about to reach me. So here I am. Any questions?" Harry finished and took a deep breath.
Everyone stared at him blankly for a moment and then they all started speaking at the same time.
"Peter betrayed us?"
"He STABBED you!"
"Only you can kill Voldemort?"
"I have a son?"
"What happens to Frank and I?"
"SNAPE is a professor?" Sirius burst out. Everyone stared at him. That was the least of their worries.
Harry smiled. "Yes, and he bloody well hates me too. Thanks for that, you guys."
"What happens to Frank and I?" Alice asked again.
Harry's expression darkened. "You get married and have Neville, but a year and a half later, Bellatrix tortures you to insanity. I met you guys when Neville visited you at Saint Mungos once.
Alice burst into tears at that and Frank hugged her.
"You never mentioned much about the Dursley's," Lily began tentatively. "Did they treat you well?"
The only thing Harry could think to reply was, "They didn't kill me."
"Please Harry, we want to know. Did they raise you ok?" James implored.
Harry swallowed. "I lived in the cupboard under the stairs until I was 11. I did most of the chores and cooking. Dudley and his friends used to beat me up all of the time and so I had no friends."
"Did…did the Dursley's ever hit you?" Lily asked, not sure if she wanted the answer.
"Not every day," Harry answered. "Aunt Petunia would take a swipe at me with the frying pan or something and Uncle Vernon would hit me when he was really angry."
Lily and James hugged each other at that. Then they came to their senses and pulled apart.
Harry answered all of their questions for a while longer. It felt good to be truthful after hiding everything for so long.
They talked until it grew dark. Harry's glamour was reapplied and they all went to bed. To say the least, this day had turned out completely different then any of them had imagined.
