AN: Thank you for the overwhelming response!
For the statistically minded as of 15.30 CET November 17th, there are 112 reviews, 429 follows and 297 favorites of this story. It has been added to 15 communities and there are 24 755 views. I'm floored by the response this story has received.
A big shout out for my beta: beau2809!
Chapter seven
That night Harry slept poorly. While he knew that Hermione has not acted the way a friends should; she should have talked to him first instead of assuming that he wouldn't see reason, Harry didn't feel any less guilty. He had never really argued with a friend before. Usually it was Hermione and Ron at each others throats constantly. He was uncertain whether he liked this change. However Harry had known for weeks that he needed to do something to inform Hermione of her behaviour. Harry had spent so much time wondering over the matter that he hadn't considered the fact that Ron hadn't said anything to him when he went to bed as well.
The next day, Harry woke up before Ron and made his way to the bathroom. He was still conflicted about yesterday and hurt by Hermione's actions. He truly believed what he told her, she always acted as if he was incapable of making rational decisions. Harry returned after his shower to the dormitory to find Ron sitting up in the bed. Harry grabbed his clothes and started to pull his robes on.
"You know mate, I know things are tough on you and that Hermione went over the line with the Firebolt thing, but you can't just take your anger and frustrations out on us. You do it sometimes and it's not our fault that you have problems." Harry stared at Ron in shock. Had he really heard him correctly? Knowing this might cost him both his oldest friends Harry made a decision. If he was supposed to be meek and always the one at fault, this friendship was not worth it. They had to accept that they could be at fault as well.
"Ron, she didn't even know what I thought about it. She assumed that I would do something stupid and went over my head. Its belittling and patronising. Not something a true friend would do to another. She's been snapping at people all the term for doing well in school. I had every right to be mad at her. Or would you be alright if she went to a professor over something about you and didn't talk to you about it first, for example your wand last year?" Ron glared at him.
"She's worried and this is how she does it. I hate that the broom is gone but face it Harry, she does know more. She said that you're acting out on us and I agree." Harry shook his head.
"So it's alright for you two to argue all the time and drag me into it. It is alright for the two of you to not notice the fact that I'm covered in bruises and weighing fifteen pounds less after every summer, but it is not alright for me to point out when you are wrong. What you are suggesting Ron is bollocks. You are wrong sometimes, the both of you, and so am I. Look, I care about you two, but if you can't accept the fact that I'm not the meek eleven year old who was terrified to lose his first friends and let you two dictate who I should speak to then fine. I won't bother you again."
"You don't realise how lucky you are Ron. All the time you complain about money and my gifts to you and I try to explain. I used to have nothing, no money no family. Now I have family, but I will never get any parents or siblings. You've got a wonderful family Ron. Be happy about them. Don't be ashamed because you don't have money because you've got love. I'd love to have a family. And yet you complain about it and just yesterday it took me ten minutes for you to stop complaining that your presents were too expensive. Do you know what present meant the most to me yesterday Ron? The jumper from your mum." Harry took a deep breath.
"Look Ron, you and Hermione are my friends but you don't act like it. You dictate who I can see and how I can act. Hermione takes for granted that I can't think for myself and get angry when I excel at something. You are always making me feel ashamed that my parents left me money and guilty when I do something without you. I want to be your friend and friends don't put conditions like these on their friendships. If I flaunted my money like Malfoy I'd understand. Of course I won't abandon you because I meet other people, but I will if you keep acting like this." Harry turned around and walked away, even more down than before after their talk.
He was furious that both of them tried to pin this on him. For a moment it had worked. As a child everything was his fault. It had been extremely difficult to try and break this pattern, but Harry had drawn strength from his new friendships. He had seen several discussions and conflicts between his new friends and others and had realised that some parts of his friendship with Hermione and Ron was not as well as he thought. It hurt to think so, but at the same time the past day had proved it. He meant what he said to Ron. Harry refused to be the permanent scapegoat in their friendship.
He hoped their friendship would survive, but was afraid it wouldn't. In particular he was afraid to lose the other Weasleys, mainly the twins and Mrs Weasley. They weren't perfect, Harry assumed no one was, but they loved each other unconditionally. He wished that he'd have such a family.
Harry wondered around and found himself in the owlery where Hedwig purred and cooed to him, nestled to his chest. Head bowed Harry cried over his first friendship and how they had ended up. Hermione and Ron had been the closest thing Harry had had to a family after he had ended up with the Dursleys and one way or another Harry doubted things would ever be the same.
Harry sent notes to Susan, Cedric and Penny to reassure himself that he had not acted badly. After all, the three of them had talked to Harry about the way Ron and Hermione were acting around Harry. Having sent the notes with Hedwig, Harry walked down to McGonagall's office. He knocked on her door.
"Come in." Harry opened the door and was a bit surprised to see professor Flitwick there as well along with the broom Harry had been given. The tiny professor looked at him and spoke.
"I am sorry, Mr Potter, but you cannot have your broom back yet. Miss Granger did tell us this morning that you would ask for it back and that you sadly have argued over the matter. It really is for the best that we investigate the matter." Harry let the professor finish as he liked the little man and respected his teachers too much to retort before he was finished.
"I am not here for my broom professor. I wonder how Hermione would know my feelings about the broom, since we never discussed the matter before she went to Professor McGonagall. I fully understand your concerns as I don't know who might have sent me this. As to the argument with Hermione I pointed out to her that I found it unacceptable that she would not discuss the matter with me, and she went to Professor McGonagall behind my back, and only assume how I would feel or reason I am here is because I wanted to ask about where my parents are buried. I know that people in the muggle world at least use to go to their parent's grave at Christmas or Yule, but I've never been." Both the professors stared at Harry in shock. He usually wasn't this talkative to professors. Professor Flitwick seemed to recover first.
"I apologise for my assumption Mr Potter. I clearly misjudged the matter. The broom will be returned to you one way or another and I am sorry that we did not discuss the matter properly with you." Professor Flitwick seemed quite sad, but Harry couldn't really understand why. Professor McGonagall looked pained.
"Mr Potter I'm sorry. I suppose I trusted Miss Granger so much that I forgot to even find out your version of events. Now on the matter of your parent's grave, there I can help you. They are buried close to your home in Godric's hollow. If Filius is amenable, we might make an exception and go there today." She looked at him and professor Flitwick.
"Everybody has the right to mourn their parent's death, Harry. I never thought about the fact that you never even knew where they rest. Come with me Harry." They didn't walk directly down to the gates to apparate, Professor McGonagall led them towards a part of the ground Harry rarely went to. Professor Flitwick had gone back to his office before they would depart.
Hogwarts had a kitchen garden for the use of the house elves as well as orchards and an herb garden. But adjacent to those there as a small walled garden with a plate on the gate: Teacher's Meadow. Inside the garden there were trees and a lot of plants properly more vibrant in spring or summer. Professor McGonagall turned to Harry.
"Usually when someone visits their beloved at the graveyard they bring flowers, candles or a wreath. I can conjure a candle but it thought you might want to make a wreath yourself." Harry fought back the lump in his throat and nodded. Together they found evergreens, pine cones, heather as well as some charmed white roses to bind into the wreath. As they made the wreath Professor McGonagall showed him how to bind it.
"This is how my mother used to do it. She was from Sweden and some things she never forgot. Even if she embraced Scotland as her new home fully, she never forgot her homeland." As they were finished they met up with Professor Flitwick and apparated as soon as they were out of the gates.
Harry decided quickly that apparating was not a pleasant feeling. Feeling nauseous Harry tried to distract himself by looking around the area they landed in. They were in a small yard filled with trees. He followed the professors as they walked out of it and quickly scanned the graves. When he found the one he was looking for he choked a little. With trembling hands Harry laid down the wreath and let the tears fall freely.
"I wish you were here. I miss you so much." Harry could hear as the teachers inched away from Harry to let him have his privacy.
"I know your voice now mum. I guess it's the only good thing to come from the dementors. I'd need your advice right now. I have these friends, we've been through so much but they expect me to be this person that I'm not and when I don't fit that mould they get angry. I don't know what to do about it. But I'm happy to say that I never have to go back to the Dursley's. I can't believe that it's finally happened. I wish I knew more about you. Until today I didn't know where we lived or you were buried. I guess it's what happens when you become orphaned." Harry sniffled.
"I love you both, I hope you know that. I've got pictures of you, Hagrid managed to get an album together for me at the end of first year." Harry traced the names on the grave and just sat there on his knees in the snow before his parent's grave. The grey stone was illuminated by the soft light from the grey sky and the candles from Harry, Professors McGonagall and Flitwick. Professor McGonagall had conjured a light for Harry just as she promised.
Finally as Harry could no longer feel his legs, he felt a hand on his shoulders and looked up into Professor McGonagall's eyes. She handed him a handkerchief. Harry took it with a wobbly smile. He stood from his kneeling position and professor McGonagall cast a drying charm on him.
As they walked out of the graveyard they took a different route. Harry was about to ask why when he saw the silhouette of a destroyed house. The words that sprung out of the gate made Harry smile bitterly. This was their home when he was little. This was where his parents had died. Where his mother had sacrificed herself to try and succeed to save Harry. Harry took a shuddering breath.
"The house is closed to outsiders, but you can go in and anyone you bring with you." Harry grabbed his professors' hands and walked into the garden he must have played in with his parents.
Harry looked around. The signs of the violent death of his parents were around him, but so was a little pond with ducks, a swing hanging from an oak tree, and a little sandpit and a little slide going to the sandpit. Harry blinked and looked towards the house. Part of it was intact, but one part was blown away. It must be the part where Riddle had thrown his curse at Harry.
Harry stepped inside the house. His professors stayed behind. This was for Harry. The ground floor looked completely fine apart from some rubble in the entry hall. The house was very large, much larger than Privet Drive. There were several sitting rooms and in one Harry found a wand. Toys were everywhere neatly placed away waiting for a child to use them again. There was a small library where a copy on the tales of Beedle the bard was placed alongside a blanket with Harry's initials and an empty tea cup. Harry could still see the traces of tea in the cup.
The kitchen and dining room offered no more revelations apart from pictures and a collection of generations. Harry took some pictures with him as well as the wand and the book with children's stories.
Upstairs there was more damage. Most of the floor had survived decently. Two rooms however were completely destroyed. One of them must have been Harry's. The room contained a crib, a rocking chair and a chest of drawers as well as some other furniture. A small mobile hung over the crib. Harry looked around and a small stuffed dragon in the crib caught his attention. It was a Hungarian horntail and incredibly soft. Harry's didn't care what anyone would say, he was taking this with him.
As Harry walked down to the first floor he felt raw, but also more peaceful. This place he couldn't remember, but he knew he had been happy and loved here. He had several things with him and he would remember this feeling when he looked at them. Harry was very happy that his professors had brought him here. Feeling tears prick again, Harry took a deep breath. He felt at home in this damaged house. The only place that really compared was Hogwarts.
Outside the professors conjured a bag for Harry and apparated back to Hogwarts. Now Harry felt more capable to handle the mess that was his fractured friendship with Ron and Hermione. He still felt the need for some advice but it felt as if his parents had been able to give him strength. With that thought in mind Harry silently walked up to the castle with his professors. As they neared the doors, Harry slowed down.
"Thank you so much for bringing me there. I can't explain how much it meant to me." The two professors nodded and smiled at Harry.
"You're welcome Harry. Now get inside, before Poppy sees you. She'll maim us if she thinks we're being careless with your health." Sniggering and in complete agreement Harry went inside, into the only home he had known about before today.
AN: No Lupin due to the full moon sadly.