Chapter 7

Reasons

As an eventful day came to a close, Harry, Ron, Hermione, and Ginny sat in the old kitchen of Grimmauld. All four were sitting warmly around the kitchen table, rubbing their stomachs fondly.

"Wow, mum really went out of line with this one. First, she makes breakfast then an hour later lunch and then a big dinner! Harry, next time you pass out stay out for about three days then wake up. We can eat some good food then," Ron said licking his lips imagining another feast.

"Oh shut it Ronald," Hermione said grabbing his hand.

At the gesture, Harry's eyes widened. He looked from Ginny to his two friends and a grin grew slowly across his face. He bolted from his seat, screaming his godfather's name.

"What is it Harry?" Sirius asked walking out of the drawing room. Remus followed him a moment later, rubbing his head tiredly as he had been asleep moments ago.

"You both owe me some galleons!" he said happily, his hand waiting in mid-air for his money.

Sirius and Remus looked at each other before unhappily digging into their pockets. They pulled out the amount and gave them to Harry, who happily trotted away down the stairs.

When he sat back at the table, Ron and Hermione were now an unhealthy red color. Harry chuckled.

"So, Harry," Ginny said trying to make it seem like meaningless conversation but failing dismally. It was obvious to Harry that she was itching to ask him the question everyone had been hinting at today.

"What do you guys want to know?" Harry asked as he lazily leaned back in his chair.

The three others looked at each other and mentally agreed on the question.

"What was behind the veil?" Hermione said leaning forward slightly to see Harry's expression. Surprisingly, Harry broke out into a huge grin that made his whole face glow. Ginny felt her heart skip a beat at his uncharacteristic smile.

"It was that good?" Ron asked eagerly as Harry memorized the moments with his parents. Harry nodded still remembering his experience with the veil.

"Well come on then! Tell us!" Mrs. Weasley said as she walked into the room with a rather large group in tow. Tonks came running to the table with her now 'normal' spiky bubble gum pink hair but ended up falling face first onto the floor. Kingsley followed behind. He looked at the woman on the floor, sighed, and picked a blushing Tonks up. Remus and Sirius strolled into the room with the rest of the Weasley men.

Everyone sat down and looked incredulously to Harry. He looked around at the eager faces and felt his face turn scarlet. He always had a problem with speaking to a large groupl of people. Reluctantly, Harry began his tale. He slowly got more comfortable and ended his story with the final minutes of his time beyond the veil. Only the two Marauders noticed that Harry had left out the prophecy and the many secrets of the veil.

As the story came to an end, the group listening walked away from the table whispering furiously about the adventure that Sirius, Remus, and Harry experienced. Sirius put a hand on Harry's shoulder and grinned before walking out of the room.

"So, you really met your parents Harry?" Ginny asked looking at Harry. She noticed that he was no longer the scrawny boy she had fallen hard for in her first year at Hogwarts. His hair was as unruly as ever and he had grown almost as tall as Ron. He was looking much older now that he was back and Ginny couldn't help but think that it was for the better.

"Yeah, they were really great. I really understand why everyone thinks that I look like my dad. It's sort of funny. And I beat him in quidditch three or four times," Harry said to his friends, a misty look in his eyes.

"They must have been great people," Hermione said softly.

"They still are. It's weird that even though I know they were," Harry stopped a moment. He still found it hard to say the word 'dead' as so many people he cared for had come to that fate but he continued, "gone but they still are having a life. It makes me feel a little better."

"Harry? Isn't your birthday coming up soon?" Ron asked, changing the subject.

"It is?" Harry asked. His friends laughed at his forgetfulness and nodded in response.

"Duh Harry. Don't be daft. It's July fifth. Your birthday is in a couple of weeks," Ron reminded his friend.

"Oh, yeah. It's weird that someone other than me actually cares. The Dursley's…" Harry cut himself off as he remembered that his so called family must have been ecstatic to hear that Harry had died and wouldn't burden him for the rest of their lives.

"Have you guys heard if anyone told the Dursley's what happened to me?" he asked.

"Yeah mate. Dumbledore told them that you had been in an accident and were killed. We heard your Aunt Petunia didn't take it well. Last we heard, she was crying because even though she didn't like you very much as we all know, you were the last thing that was close to her sister, in other words your mum," Ron said checking Harry's expression which was now slightly saddened.

"Oh, okay. Well, want to play some exploding snap then?" Harry said quickly. The group agreed and began an intense game.

The next week passed quickly and uneventfully for the now foursome of Hermione, Ginny, Ron, and Harry. All four had kept themselves quite busy with holiday essay's and the many chores Mrs. Weasley assigned. Harry waited for Dumbledore to make an appearance at the house but he was yet to come see Harry. As far as he could remember, Dumbledore had not been at Grimmauld Place since the day Harry had come back.

Harry had been having conflicting feelings with his elderly Headmaster. Ever since he had found out the dreadful prophecy during his time behind the veil, a nagging voice kept asking him why Dumbledore had kept such information from him. Day by day he kept getting angrier at the so called 'Greatest Wizard of their Time' but now that Harry was back in the real world, he blocked out those thoughts until he was to see the man.

During a boring dinner one night, Dumbledore appeared and called Harry to the sidelines to speak to him. Reluctantly, Harry excused himself from the table and went into the empty drawing room.

"Hello Harry. How are you doing today?" the old man asked his pupil as he sat down at the desk.

"Fine," Harry said coldly as he remained standing. Dumbledore studied him for a quick moment before a flash of realization crossed his features.

"You were told the prophecy. Am I correct?" he asked the twinkle in his eye disappearing into the blue. Harry nodded stiffly dropping his hands to his sides.

"I see. I suppose you want to ask some questions? If that is what you wish to do, please go ahead," he said leaning back in the chair.The gesture was a surprise to Harry. He noted how Dumbledore was quite calm and seemed uncaring of the situation.

"How could you act so calm?" Harry said, his voice gaining volume,
"You kept this from me for my whole life and I trusted you more than anyone. How dare you do that to me?"

"I know that I have defied you Harry. I should have told you."

"Than why didn't you?" Harry screamed. His face was bright red, "This is my fate. This is my destiny, not yours. I deserved to know and you know that."

"Harry. Please let me explain my reasons," he said quietly. His voice held a note of irriation at Harry's rashness but it seemed he didn't care.

"EXPLAIN! EXPLAIN? What makes you think that I want to hear what you have to say?" Harry's voice became a deathly quiet whisper.

"Please Harry. You must understand," Dumbledore told the young boy before him. The irriation was gone and desperation took its place.

Harry stood and contemplated his options. He could merely walk out of the room and refuse to speak to his Headmaster but that would not show any maturity. His other option was to stay and listen to what Dumbledore had to say. He chose the latter.

"I sent you to your aunt and uncle for a reason. You know that there was a blood protection on that place because of your aunt. I needed you to be safe. I needed you to live a normal life, not a spoiled and famed life that many people would have thought you lived. I conjured up a plan, a full-proof plan for when you came to Hogwarts but it had one major flaw that ruined it all. When you came to Hogwarts, I had hoped that you would have been treated like a normal boy but I found that you had been forgotten and ignored and yet you were still as normal a boy as I had hoped you would be. You were kind and unaware of the world that was in front of you and above all else, you were innocent. Innocence was the key. I was amazed at your skill in your first year and well, you know what happened that year. In the hospital wing, you asked me why Voldemort attacked you when you were a child and I did not tell you because, after all, eleven years old was much to young to face the horrible truth," Dumbledore paused a moment and searched Harry's face before continuing.

"The next year you saved Ginny Weasley in the Chamber of Secrets and learned you were a parslemouth. I told you of how that came to be and that was the last question you asked me. I decided to leave it at that. I decided it was best for you to be older to know the truth. 'You were only twelve' was what I thought. In your third year, you learned many things and you found the closest thing to a father, Sirius," he stopped and smiled at the memory, "I did not want to ruin your sudden happiness so I once again did not tell you the truth and again I thought thirteen was too young to know. I told myself that next year was the year. In your fourth year, you faced many bad times. You were put into the Triwizard Tournament, you were hated by your many peers, you almost lost your best friend and your life for that matter, and in the end, you witnessed Cedric Diggory's death and saw Voldemort come back to power. That was when I knew I had waited too long. I saw you in that hospital bed and I told myself soon but not now. I did not tell you then because I thought you had been through so much during that time, you could not handle it. It would have been too much. Then your fifth year; you do not need reminding of that I am sure. Do you see my flaw Harry? Do you see that I had one major flaw that brought my plan downward?" Dumbledore questioned, his voice taking on the same desperation he had before.

Harry thought for a moment before answering very quietly, "You cared too much," he muttered. He looked up at Dumbledore and waited for an answer. He nodded.

For a long while, neither moved. Both Harry and Dumbledore sat across from each other studying the other. Harry felt himself beginning to get consumed in his anger and stood up, moving quickly towards the door. He opened it and stopped abruptly. Without turning around, Harry said something that burned his professor to the bone.

"I don't give a damn that you are the great wizard of our time Professor, you had no right to hide such a thing from me, no right at all."

With that, Harry slammed the door shut.