A/N: Thank you all for the reviews! also, I now have two people translating english into latin for me, so you won't need to offer you're help anymore. furthermore, I think I will dissapoint a lot of people with the way this story is going to go, but I already wrote it, and won't change it either. Perhaps I will post one-shots from others POV, so I can go into other parts of the story as well.

Once more, thanks to azntgr01, my beta.

Chapter Thirteen: On to Grimmauld Place

After letting the news sink in, the entire group made their way back to Grimmauld Place, dreading to come back with such a message. They still had their presents in their hands, as Petunia had asked if they could please celebrate Christmas when they came over in two days time.

As Severus and Remus had expected, the news hadn't been received very well. Mr and Mrs Weasley had been devastated and had hugged their children as hard as they could. Mrs Weasley had wanted to go to the hospital right away, but Dumbledore stopped her. Even he was in tears, something most had never seen before. He blamed himself, felt he should have given Harry more chances to talk to him, but Severus told him, they had kept it a secret for everyone, afraid of Vernon and later of Voldemort finding out. Dumbledore had eventually accepted it, and had then started readying a room for Harry and his aunt to stay in. They wouldn't make Harry go up and down the stairs all the time.

McGonagall had cried her eyes red, and was determined to look after Harry when he would be back in Hogwarts. Fred and George were serious for once, which was quite a shock to anyone else. Hermione and Ron were wondering if they should tell Neville and Luna, or if they should let Harry do it. In the end, they decided that Harry would have to do so.

After two days of organizing, and coming to terms with it all, they were just waiting for Harry and Petunia to arrive. Petunia had called Hermione's home to say they were going to come around three o'clock. Harry would be on strong painkillers, and would get something to help him sleep. The house was gleaming, because Mrs Weasley had reacted by cleaning. She hated that she wouldn't be allowed to fuss over Harry, but Dumbledore and Mr Weasley had made it clear that Petunia was his aunt, and primary caretaker.

Everyone was waiting nervously in the kitchen well before twelve, and every time something creaked or even sounded close to the doorbell, they stood up, wanting to go and see Harry. Finally, at exactly three o'clock the doorbell rang. Luckily they had managed to remove the portrait of Mrs Black just the day before, so everything was quiet except for the anxious people going to the door.

Remus opened the door, and found a sickly looking Harry in a wheelchair, slightly grinning up at him, while Petunia was behind the wheelchair to push it. Doctor Romanov looked on in wonder at the odd house. He was carrying the bags, since Remus would go with Petunia to get the rest of her luggage.

"Please come in all of you. I'm sure you have time for some tea and cookies?"

Doctor Romanov smiled and entered, he loved getting to see other wizarding homes, besides the one of his brother. Harry looked on in wonder as well, and noticed Mrs Black was gone.

"Hey Remus," his voice croaked slightly. "When did Mrs Black go?"

Remus smiled at him, "well, we managed to remove her yesterday, and now it's finally quiet enough."

Harry smiled at him, and at his friends. Hermione seemed to have trouble containing herself, as did Mrs Weasley. She was in fact crying.

"Ehm, perhaps we should go to the kitchen?" Harry ventured. He wasn't looking forward to having everyone pressing in on him; he had only just gotten out of the hospital after all. Even though the potion had helped, he was still very tired and would remain tired for the rest of his time left.

Petunia turned him towards the kitchen, but had trouble with the stairs, until Severus used a 'Wingardium Leviosa' on the wheelchair. Doctor Romanov looked immensely pleased about it all, and Petunia smiled at Severus.

The people who hadn't seen Harry in the hospital were staring at him in shock, and were crying. Harry was nearly bald, he had lost a lot of weight, and despite the fact that he wore warm clothes, and had a blanket around him, he still shivered in the cold. Petunia settled herself next to him, tucking him in some more, and accepting the tea Mrs Weasley gave her.

Doctor Romanov explained to the others what they could expect. "Harry will only have several months as most to live. During that time, he will have to take his painkillers, and will feel very tired most of the time. Also, he can be getting problems with his body. He could catch a cold much easier, or a simple wound could become infected. Frankly all sorts of things can happen to him, but Harry knows all of this. Since Harry is adamant about returning to Hogwarts, I suggest that you will only let him go to classes for half days. And it will have to be limited further." Harry made as if to protest, but Doctor Romanov just looked at him severely. "You know just as well as I do, that you won't be up to going to classes later on." He said. Harry nodded.

Ginny and Hermione couldn't help themselves anymore, and burst out crying. Harry surprised most people by taking Ginny on his lap and shushing her, while he held Hermione as close as possible, rubbing her back. The others had to cry to, though Snape held it in. Inside his head, he was shouting at the unfairness of it all. He had seen Harry with several of the younger students, knew the boy would be a great person and now he was dieing!

After Harry had calmed most of the people down (and really shouldn't he be the one crying?) he looked over at Draco, and smiled softly. "Draco, did you finish it? He murmured, but everyone had heard him anyway.

Draco smiled, "yes, thanks to the help." The other children were confused.

"Draco, wasn't the list assigned to you by someone from the Order?" Hermione asked him.

Draco smirked. "No, in fact it was the owner of the house who told me what to do, didn't you Harry?"

"But what was it for Harry?" Ginny asked. Harry seemed to debate with himself for a while, and then decided to just tell them his plans. After all, it seemed he wouldn't be around to see it completed. "Well, as you know this place is mine now. And I felt I should do something good with it. I knew I didn't really want to become an Auror, and had some trouble figuring out what I did want to do. Finally I realised I wanted to open up an orphanage, and this place would be big enough for it too. It just needed to be cleaned, and repaired. I asked Draco to help me, since he knows more about the wizarding world than I do. He agreed and has made a list of things that need to be done to this house to make it into the best orphanage. And Aunt Petunia is going to help as well, aren't you?"

Petunia looked surprised, but then decided on agreeing, after all, it was what Harry wanted to do, and she could lead an orphanage, she was sure, so she nodded. The smile Harry gave her was nearly blinding. Everyone else was just stunned, that Harry had such plans and loved him all the more for it. Dumbledore stood up, and carefully embraced Harry; as if afraid he would hurt the boy. Harry hugged him back, but much more fiercely.

Petunia noticed how tired Harry started to look, and so she suggested that it was time for presents now. They all agreed, happy to think of something else for a little while.

Remus was the first to give his present, and it was a warm shawl, in Harry's favourite colours (he had admitted to Remus that he rather liked green) and so it was green, with a little hint of gold on the edges. Also he received a warm woollen hat, which he promptly put on his head, since that was nearly bald. Remus had bought it, knowing Harry's winter things were very worn by now, but hadn't thought it would come in handy right away.

Hermione had bought him several children's books, classics like 'Peter Pan', 'Cinderella' and other such stories, as Harry had once told her he rather liked such stories, since he never really knew them.

Ron and Ginny had bought little figurines of a phoenix, a stag, a dog and a wolf. They were nearly lifelike and done in colour. Harry admired them, and put them away carefully, afraid of breaking them.

Fred and George had gotten him the newest samples of sweets, and pranks, which he tried to hide from his teachers, who saw anyway, and just gave him knowing looks.

Mrs Weasley had made him a pie, and his annual sweater, this time in red, with a little dragon on it. He immediately put it on over his normal clothes, saying that it was much warmer this way. Mrs Weasley began to weep again.

Draco had given Harry a journal he could write in. Draco would be able to read the message, and would be able to reply. Harry loved it, especially the future of the ink changing colour depending on your mood.

And then it was time for Severus to give him his present. It was for both Petunia and Harry really, and turned out to be a photo-album filled with pictures of Lily Evans together with her friends, strange situations she had gotten into, or anything else that made a nice picture. She smiled and waved up at them the entire time. Severus was in several of those pictures as well, just as Remus was. Severus had also framed several of the moving and unmoving pictures, so they didn't have everything in the book. Harry surprised everyone, even himself, by giving the man a hug. It would have lasted longer, except that he was very tired, and nearly fell asleep by now.

So Petunia and Remus gathered him up, and took him to his new bedroom, where he promptly fell asleep. Petunia thanked Doctor Romanov, and Severus showed him out. Then Petunia went into Harry's bedroom, to catch up on some sleep as well, and the others softly talked about what would happen now. They tried to lighten the mood, but it never did quite work.

And so passed the rest of the holidays. Harry gained back some strength, and would walk around for a bit, before tiring and returning to the wheelchair, which was now spelled to tackle stairs, and other bumps on the way. He tried to hide it, but the others noticed that he was often taking painkillers. Poppy and Severus were frustrated that magical painkillers didn't seem to have much of an effect. Severus was now analysing the muggle painkillers, hoping to come up with a magical potion that had at least the same properties. Harry's friends also noticed that he had more trouble keeping his attention on more than one thing at a time.

They all knew he was sick, but it still took some time for the news to really sink in.


A/N: the next chapter will be posted on saturday, since I won't have time to do it tomorrow. That's for all you people who keep asking when the next update's going to be!