"What," Minerva questioned as she looked at Albus Dumbledore in shock.
Albus sighed sadly before repeating, "Harry is a Horcrux. You knew his scar was cursed when he was a baby."
"Why are you just telling us this?" Sirius questioned the man.
"The others had to be located and cleansed first," the Headmaster informed them.
"Othes," Minerva said horrified.
"Tom split his soul into 7 pieces," he confirmed. "I gathered the information and quietly went after them. Harry was protected by the blood wards and I feared he would lose that protection if the Horcrux was removed before the others had been destroyed. Gringotts has a cleansing ritual available and are preparing it for Halloween. The goblins believe that Lily's sacrifice will offer Harry a protective magic on that date."
"You knew Harry would have to go through this ritual the entire time," Minerva accused. "You knew and never mentioned a word to anyone."
"What would it have changed?" he asked calmly. Minerva frowned at him but said nothing. "Minerva," he tried again. "Harry's safety has always been my priority. The prophecy regarding him and Tom Riddle is still active. I refrained from saying anything because you would have wanted to help. I needed you to focus solely on Harry and his needs while at searched for the Horcuxes."
"Prepare the ritual," Minerva said briskly as she stood. "I will be pulling Harry from classes today and tomorrow to spend time with him. Remus I will need you to keep Duncan until after the ritual."
"I promised him a camping trip anyways," Remus responded.
"I shall cover your classes," Albus answered. He understood her need to spend time with her child before the ritual.
Minerva stood and briskly left the room. She would inform Harry, Fiona and Hermioneof the ritual and then would take Harry home. They would both need Dougal's ever encompassing love and understanding.
Minerva merely lifted the cover up when she noticed Harry standing by the bedroom door. He grinned at her and quickly climbed in the bed between his parents. "Can't sleep son," Dougal asked, his tone sleepy.
Minerva smiled as Harry cuddled closer to her before answering, "I had a nightmare."
"The same one," she inquired. Harry had always been plagued by nightmares but would refuse to soeak about them. They had eventually quit asking him but would always inform him they were there if he needed them.
"Yes," he whispered emotionally. Minutes ticked by before he admitted. "I remember that night."
"What," Minerva asked horrified as she wrapped her arms around her son.
"We were in the living room downstairs," he said. "Mum was reading to me when Dad ran in and said he was here and to take me and run. She grabbed me in her arms, kissed Dad and ran up the stairs to my room. Mum laid me in the crib, put protection spells on the door and then started writing runes on me with her blood. They glowed white and then faded into my skin. She picked me back her and held me close as she sobbed. We could hear the fight downstairs and knew when Dad fell."
Harry took a shaky breath before continuing, "Mum kissed me and told me she loved me before laying me back in my crib. 'Uncle Doug will take care of you Harry' she said as she gripped her wand tighter and prepared to fight. We heard the steps up the stairs and then suddenly the door exploded open. Mum fought hard. She managed to make him bleed. Voldemort managed to knock her wand out of her hand and told her to step aside and he would let her live. She spat in his face and said he would have to kill her. He thought she was begging for my life but she wasn't. Mum was activating the runes she had wrote on me. I felt them warming up. Mum moved in front of my crib and held her arms wide open to protect me. I saw the green light envelope her and then watched her fall lifelessly to the ground. The bastard laughed when I cried out for her. He lifted his wand at me then. I saw the green light emerge from his wand and comes way. A white glow lifted from Mum's body and wrapped around me. The green light crashed against it and rebounded it. The green light moved back towards Voldemort and liquefied him. I saw a black blob rose from him and then slammed into me. It hurt and I cried. I saw Mum stand up from her body but she glowed with runes. She told me she loved me once again, told me Uncle Doug would take care of me and that she would never leave me unprotected. She kissed my forehead and disappeared. The pain stopped. I think she wrapped her essence around the Horcrux."
"Oh my love," Minerva said as tears fell down her face. She wrapped him as close to her as she could while Dougal hugged him from behind. "We have you love. You shall not face this without us."
The family held each other while they cried throughout the remainder of the night.
"He fucking remembers," Sirius asked horrified. "Harry remembers his parents being murdered?"
Minerva nodded her head. "No wonder he never wanted to talk about his nightmare," she whispered brokenly. "I never imagined this could be a possibility."
"Who would have?" Albus said as he sat back and sighed wearily. "I never knew how Lily managed to protect Harry and it certainly wasn't something I have ever heard of. Protection runes from her own blood. Lily was a genius."