Chapter 11

Harry rode the stairs to the Headmistress' office anxiously. He was finally going to speak to the former Headmaster after having been here for almost a month. Truthfully, he could go the whole year without speaking to the man/portrait but it wouldn't be polite and it would attract unwanted attention.

Dumbledore is not one of Harry's favorite people, in fact one could say that the former Headmaster was just as bad as the madman he was made to kill when he was seventeen. Harry did not like him, trust him, care for his opinion, or like him. Yeah, I know, said that twice but Harry really doesn't like the man. Thank Merlin Harry learned to protect his mind. Can a portrait even read minds? Either way, Harry wasn't taking any chances.

The door to the office was left open for him to enter. Minerva promised him she would stay away for thirty minutes - forty five at the most. Harry had to offer his services on the first Hogsmeade weekend to get her to agree. Sneaky old woman. When the stairs stopped moving he was standing to the side of the door, where he could see in a little but Albus could not see him. Taking several deep breaths to calm his nerves, he pushed open the door and walked in.

"Harry, my boy! Come in, come in, have a seat. Would you like some tea?" Albus said happily with that damn twinkle in his eye. Harry cringed at the man's sweetness and sat in the chair opposite the desk.

"No thank you, Sir. I've just come from dinner. How have you been?" Harry replied in a voice he hoped was pleasant. He could feel the discomfort from his inner Vampire but thankfully he kept quiet.

"I'm fine, just fine. It's been a long time since we last saw each other. Why is that my boy? I was so looking forward to speaking with you after the final battle, to congratulate you on a job well done but you never came. I was beginning to think you were avoiding me until Minerva informed me you had disappeared. Where did you go? I do hope you kept in touch with your friends while you were gone." He said sweetly and Harry knew the man already knew the answer to that question and probably all the questions he was going to ask tonight.

"I just went on a holiday. Took a trip down under and fell in love with it so I stayed for a few years." Harry said sarcastically. He tried to be nice but the man was already grating at him. "Somehow I think you already knew that. Didn't you? You knew where I was the whole time. I'm curious, why didn't you tell anyone? I heard the Headmistress was really upset, you could have alleviated her pain. Why didn't you? Why did you keep my secret?"

Albus studied the young man in front of him. He's definitely not the same man that left here five years ago. "Yes, yes, I knew you were in Australia. Where in Australia I didn't know and I didn't tell anyone because it wasn't my secret to tell. Why would you think I would do that to you? Harry, you must know that I always have your best interest at heart."

At that statement Harry snickered. "No Albus, you always had your best interest at heart. I think the only time you felt remorse for what you did to me was the year you were dying. Leaving me the tools I needed to complete the task." Harry said back and none too nicely.

"Harry…" Albus said sadly, "I have always cared for you, please don't doubt that, you're like a grandson to me. I've made mistakes, I was a human, but never doubt that I had feelings for you. My boy, things had to be done for the greater good, not all were easy but most were necessary."

"Albus, I've learned a lot about myself over the last five years. One of the hardest things I've had to come to terms with was how my relatives treated me and how you didn't seem to care. I get it now, you needed me pliable and broken to do what you wanted, and it worked. But you never thought beyond the demise of Voldemort, did you? You assumed, like most everyone else, that I would die facing him. Being so broken that I would allow myself...that I would sacrifice myself to ensure the end of old snake face." Harry hissed quietly. "But I was stronger than you thought. I not only did what was expected from me but I did what the whole Wizarding world expected me to do, and I survived!" Harry stood up and slowly walked toward the portrait, he stopped right in front of it making Albus look down at him.

"Harry…" The sorrowful look he gave Harry was followed with softly spoken words. "I have behaved badly toward you in the past. I never put you first when it mattered and I want you to know how sorry I am for that. Can you ever forgive me? There are no excuses for how I behaved, I can only ask that you try to see the events from my point of view and what we were up against. At the time I truly thought I was doing the right thing, but now I know how closed minded and cruel I was to you. Will you ever be able to forgive me, Harry?"

Huh? "What are you playing at Headmaster?" He took a step back and studied the painted man. "Why?"

"Harry, I've been nothing but cruel to you while demanding you, a mere child, to fight in a war that wasn't yours to begin with. Let me finish." He said when he saw Harry open his mouth. "I took that prophecy to heart and let it rule how I lived my last years and not to mention how I treated you. You're my biggest regret, Harry." He said somberly and looked at Harry with such pained regret that Harry could do nothing but stare. "I wanted to see you so I could tell you how sorry I am for everything. If you choose not to forgive me I will understand." The man said as he watched Harry intensely.

"Albus, I…" Harry whispered and looked over out the window. This was unexpected. He hated this man and not just because of the prophecy and Voldemort, but for leaving him with the Dursleys, for keeping secrets, for not protecting him when he needed it, and mostly for pretending to love him when he obviously didn't. "I don't know if I can." With a sad expression and a sigh, Harry turned from the window and started for the door. "Thanks for the visit, Headmaster, but I think it's time for me to go."

"I hope to see you again, Harry. Please don't be a stranger." Albus said with yearning. Asking Harry for forgiveness now is wrong, he knows that, but when he was alive he was too proud to admit his mistakes and his cruelty. That's why when this painting was being imbued with his essence and magic he made sure this was attached. This regret, this sadness for what he's done, and his hope that one day Harry would forgive him. "Good bye, Headmaster." Reached his ears as the door to the office was closing.

XxxX

As Harry made his way to the infirmary, he thought about what the former Headmaster had said to him.

I think he's full of shite. How convenient that he does this when he's dead. We should have never gone there, he's going to get into your head and mess it up again.

'Yeah, don't worry, we won't be going back anytime soon.' Harry thought back. Keeping his stride long and confident.

He stopped in front of the doors to the hospital wing and took a deep breath. He was worried about what she would say and who she would say it to, but this couldn't be avoided. So with that in mind, he pushed the doors open and strode in.

"Ah, Mister Potter, do come in and follow me." She said in her 'Mediwitch' voice and turned to the back of the room. Harry followed matching her step by step so only one set echoed through the ward.

Her office was immaculate. Everything is organized and in its place. She sat behind her desk and motioned for him to sit as well. "Now.." she started as she pulled open the top drawer and pulled out a large medical folder. "It seems, Mister Potter, that you are due a physical. Every teacher is required to have one and you have yet to come to me. So, therefore we will be doing it now." She stated firmly looking to Harry as if to say, and I'll hear no argument from you.

Harry sat there watching Poppy's face and searching for any sign that she knew. It didn't seem like it, but to be on the safe side, he decided to take this slow and careful. "Of course, Poppy. I wasn't aware there was a time limit." He smiled at her, eyes sparkling and cheeks rosy. They stood together and headed for one of the beds. Harry elegantly sat on the first one they came to and waited for Poppy to begin.

Poppy followed the young professor and studied his movements. Noting to herself his confidant strides and seemingly ease in his movements on his feet and sitting on the bed. She shook her head slightly, she felt weary and sluggish all of a sudden but tried to overcome them without Harry noticing she wasn't up to her normal standards. It's just a simple exam and then she could cuddle under her thick sheets with a good book and wind down.

"Sit still while I run the standard scan." She stated and began to move her wand around and muttered the charm mostly to herself. A parchment popped into existence next to her to record the findings. She's done this many times on all the Professors and a few students over the years, so it's just a normal part of her daily routine. So when the scan abruptly stopped, she paused and looked at Harry in surprise. "Were you going to tell me? Did you forget that I also treated your father when he was a student here?" Harry looked surprised at her scolding. "I'm hurt and disappointed that you didn't come to me on your own, Harry." She admonished while Harry kept eye contact with her but didn't acknowledge he knew what she was talking about. "And don't try that glamor of yours on me again either!" She threw out. Harry looked totally reprimanded and just smiled back at her.

Did he think she wouldn't find out? She studied the man on the bed for a reaction and waited for his answer. "You know I can't talk about this to anyone. So whatever you tell me or I find is just between you and me." She said calmly still watching his face, well mostly his eyes. She placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder and sat next to him on the bed. Harry quirked his mouth and closed his eyes before looking at her and spoke calmly and quietly to his friend.

"Please don't be angry with me or hurt that I didn't come to you first. I was secretly hoping that the scan wouldn't pick up anything out of the ordinary. I should have known that wouldn't be the case." He tilted his head and chuckled in her direction. "As far as I know, my father did not come into his creature gene, so how do you know about it already? I mean, you're not at all surprised at the results, like I imagined you would be."

Poppy sighed and rubbed his shoulder in a comforting gesture. "No he didn't, but he informed me that it was a possibility and when his seventeenth birthday came and went and he didn't receive the inheritance we thought it would manifest in his offspring." She moved from the bed and pulled the side chair closer to Harry and sat on the edge. "But when you turned seventeen you didn't change either so I figured the gene was dormant. Can I assume that what happened during the final battle had something to do with it?"

Harry nodded and proceeded to tell her the story. They sat there for over an hour, Harry recounting events and Poppy asking questions. He didn't keep anything from her if she asked, but at the same time he didn't offer up any extra information. She touched on how he was feeding and how often he needed to feed which led to the questions about a mate and did he have one. Without revealing who his Mate is, he did confirm that his Mate is here in the Castle but that he hasn't approached the person in that capacity yet, just simply wanting to get to know the person first.

"Harry, your Mate is not something to play around with. You know as well as I the consequences if this goes wonky." She admonished, giving him her most stern look.

"Yes ma'am. I assure you everything is fine and I won't let it go that far." Harry said back with a sigh. He knows she means well but this course of action is the right one.

"Okay then, everything seems in line. I'll update your chart. You may go now. Oh! And Harry? If you find you need blood and can't get it yourself, I expect you to contact me...ASAP, do you understand?" This said with her no nonsense face and Harry knew better than to argue with her.

"Yes ma'am." He smiled at her and jumped off the bed. "Thank you."

"Posh, go on now." She waved him out and turned toward her office.

XxxX

Harry made it back to his rooms and plopped onto his stomach on his sofa. That was both nerve wracking and a relief, but having another person, a medical person, knowing his secret feels good. Helpful. Maybe even a relief. If things start to feel wrong he knows he can depend on her.

Okay, she's scary but in a good way. I can see where having her on our side would be a benefit. But that doesn't mean we don't claim our Mate soon.

'Ugh, I know, okay! We're talking civil and I actually enjoy him and his company so I don't think it will be long. Okay?' Harry groaned back.

"I don't care what Mikkel says, I still feel like I'm going crazy." He mumbled to himself.

He rolled over and promptly fell off the couch. He just laid there staring at the ceiling debating whether or not to get up.

We do not belong on the floor.

"Yeah" he said aloud and slowly pulled himself up. That's when he noticed the unopened letter from Hermione. He scooped it up and sat back on the couch. I guess now's as good a time as any to read what she has to say, he thought and broke the seal.

XxxX

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